Sabato’s Multi-Homer Day Highlights Split with Dunedin

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 4, 2021) – Aaron Sabato clobbered a pair of home runs Wednesday, helping the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels split a doubleheader with the Dunedin Blue Jays at Hammond Stadium.

Sabato drove in six runs in the twin bill, logging three RBI in each game. With the Mussels (41-36) trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning of Game 1, the North Carolina product deposited an opposite field blast over the seats in right field. The home run left the bat at 109 mph and carried 415 feet to make it 5-4.

With Fort Myers trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2, Charles Mack drew a two-out walk. The next batter was Sabato, who cranked a 446-foot shot over the batter’s eye in center field. The ball left the bat at a staggering 110 miles per hour.

With the two home runs, the New York native temporarily pulled into a three-way tie for the team lead with six home runs.

After the Blue Jays (35-44) pulled ahead 3-2 in the third, Misael Urbina hit a two-run home run onto the berm in left to put Fort Myers back in front 4-3. The next batter was Jesus Feliz, who laced a double into the left field corner. After a wild pitch moved Feliz to third, Sabato drove him home with a sacrifice fly to center to stretch the lead to 5-3.

However, Dunedin battled back against reliever Orlando Rodriguez. After making it 5-4 on a pair of singles in the fourth, Addison Barger delivered a game-tying home run in the top of the fifth to make it 5-5.

Steven Cruz (2-2) and Harry Rutkowski (0-1) then traded zeroes until the bottom of the sixth. With a 1-0 count to start the inning, Will Holland lifted a game-winning solo home run to left center to cap the scoring at 6-5. The homer made Holland the first Mussels’ hitter to reach seven dingers for the season.

Cruz worked a scoreless seventh to polish off the doubleheader split.

The Mussels and Blue Jays will meet again at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Landon Leach (0-0, 3.38) makes the start for Fort Myers, opposed by Sem Robberse (4-4, 4.27) of Dunedin. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.