CLEARWATER, Fla. (September 6, 2026) - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the Clearwater Threshers 6-4 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark, concluding the 2026 season.
The Mighty Mussels secured all-time franchise records (since 1992) in OBP (.345 to .365) and OPS (.749 to .769). Both marks bested the 2013 Miracle team. The Mussels also tied the 2013 squad in season-long SLG at .404.
Fort Myers finished the campaign with 129 home runs (passing 103 HR in 2023) and 288 stolen bases (passing 236 in 2025), both of which are also all-time franchise records that were set in August. The 288 stolen bases led the Florida State League by 15 while the 129 homers ranked third.
Of players who were on the active roster on opening day, only four were still with Fort Myers at the end of the campaign; Bryan Acuna, Quentin Young, Adam Falinski and Eric Hammond. Falinski did spend May and June in High-A with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before returning to Single-A. Jason Reitz, Matt Barr and Callan Fang all opened the season on the injured list but finished the year healthy with Fort Myers. In total, there were 186 roster transactions this season, with 96 players on the roster, 18 rehabbers, and 31 players promoted to higher levels in the Minnesota Twins organization.
The final game of the season was close from start to finish as the Mussels (68-60, 31-32) fought their way to a victory, ending a five-game losing streak.
In a 2-2 game in the top of the tenth, Jimmy Keenan delivered a two-out single to put Fort Myers (68-60, 31-32) ahead 3-2. After a walk to Merphy Hernandez, Carson Tinney put a 105-mph laser over the wall in right to make it 6-2. With his eighth homer in 24 games, the Minnesota Twins second rounder moved into a tie for the second most homers in the FSL since his debut on July 30.
Clearwater (74-55, 34,29) got two unearned runs back in the bottom of the 10th and Brad Rudis induced a flyout with the winning run at the plate to conclude the season. The team went 8-4 in extra-inning games.
Mussels’ starter Eric Hammond went six-up and six-down to begin his outing. The Mussels had the bases loaded on a trio of walks in the second but couldn't convert. A leadoff single in the third from Thresher first baseman Jack Hopko marked the first hit of the game.
In the fourth, Colby Turner reached on a leadoff error. After a stolen base, Quentin Young singled to center to open the scoring.
Hammond finished his campaign with four shoutout innings, striking out five Threshers while not issuing a walk. He faced just two above the minimum.
Clearwater got on the board in the fifth against Melvin Rodriguez. After a ground out, four straight Threshers reached and Clearwater took a 2-1 lead. Rodriguez was then replaced by Jake Covey with runners at first and second and one out. Covey retired the next two batters to hold the deficit.
Turner led off the eighth with a walk. Bryce Fowler extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single to right, moving Turner to third. A wild pitch tied the game 2-2, and Fowler went first to third on the play. A lineout from Tinney ended the frame as Fort Myers left the bases loaded for the third time in the game.
Hendry Chivilli, Nick McAuliffe, Rainer Marin (2-0), and Rudis held the Threshers to just two hits over the final four innings, while not allowing an earned run.
UP NEXT: The Mighty Mussels return to action in April of 2027.