FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 18, 2026) - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels were defeated by the Lakeland Flying Tigers by a final score of 7-3 on Saturday night at Lee Health Sports Complex.
Double-A rehabber Jake Rucker collected four base hits tonight, all coming with two strikes. Rucker had three singles and a double, joining Minnesota Twins No. 1 prospect Walker Jenkins as the rehabbers to have four hits in a Mighty Mussels’ game this season.
In 504 minor league contests, J. Rucker now has two four-hit games. The other occurrence was 11 days ago with the FCL Twins on July 9th.
He and his brother Carson Rucker, who batted eighth for the Flying Tigers on Saturday, combined to go 7-for-9 with four extra-base hits and two home runs.
“It’s really cool to see,” Jake Rucker said postgame. “I was talking with him [Carson] pregame about adjustments, just playing the game and having fun.”
Fort Myers (47-39, 10-11) tabbed Jason Reitz (0-2) to make his eighth start of the season. Reitz retired the side in order, with all three outs coming in the air.
For the third consecutive game, the Mighty Mussels struck in the bottom of the first inning. Ramiro Dominguez and J. Rucker each singled to open the inning. Two batters later, Jayson Bass ripped a two-run double down the right-field line to put the Mussels up 2-0.
Reitz faced the minimum in the second inning despite allowing a leadoff single to Lakeland’s (40-47, 10-13) Nick Dumesnil, who Irvin Nunez caught trying to steal second base.
In the top of the third inning, with two on and two out, All-Star rehabber Gleyber Torres hit an opposite-field three-run home run to put Lakeland in front. Because of an error earlier in the inning, all three runs against Reitz went unearned.
In the bottom of the inning, Dominguez singled and J. Rucker doubled to set up second and third. Bass drove in his third run of the night on a sacrifice fly and the Mussels tied the game. Bass now has 48 RBI on the season, extending his team lead.
Lakeland took the lead right back in the top of the fourth, as Jesus Pinto demolished a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Flying Tigers the advantage at 5-3. Nick McAuliffe took over and stranded a man to keep the deficit at two.
Major League rehabber Garrett Acton worked two clean frames across the fifth and sixth innings. Acton threw 21 pitches and struck out one batter.
Ramiro Villanueva took over in the seventh and gave up a lead-off solo home run to C. Rucker, extending Lakeland’s lead to 6-3.
Yendy Gomez (4-2) worked two solid innings in relief for Lakeland, earning the win.
Villanueva pitched into the eighth, but was relieved by Brent Francisco with one out. Aided by the third caught stealing of the night by Nunez, Francisco faced just two in the eighth.
In the ninth, Francisco gave up a lead-off, opposite-field home run to C. Rucker, his second of the night. For C. Rucker, it was his second multi-home run game of the season. Lakeland hit four home runs tonight, three of them went to the opposite field.
The Mussels went quietly in the ninth, setting up a rubber match on Sunday.
The series concludes on Sunday, July 19. Merit Jones (3.99) gets the start for Fort Myers with Caleb Leys (4.78) tabbed to start for Lakeland. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 11:40 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.