PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 23, 2026) - Reed Moring and Merit Jones combined to throw 10 innings of one-run ball as the Mighty Mussels split their doubleheader against the St. Lucie Mets on Thursday at Clover Park.
The Mussels’ starting pitching duo had an 11-1 K/BB ratio across their 10 innings while the entire staff combined to allow just one extra-base hit on the day.
The second game of the doubleheader was a makeup game from June 27 in Fort Myers, and the Mussels were the designated home team in that contest.
GAME ONE: SLU 1 - FTM 0
Mussels starter Reed Moring (1-1) cruised through the first two innings, needing just 15 pitches to get his first six outs. The Mets went ahead 1-0 in the third as rehabber Marco Vargas connected on a two out single.
Fort Myers left seven runners on base across their first four offensive innings and did not capitalize on a pair of Met errors.
Moring finished his afternoon with five strong innings. He needed just 60 pitches and threw 44 of them for strikes while racking up five strikeouts against one walk. It was Moring's third outing of five complete innings in his 15 appearances this season. All eight hits he allowed were singles.
The Mussels loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't push a run across. Fort Myers left 12 men aboard and stranded multiple baserunners in five of their seven offensive innings.
GAME TWO: FTM 3 - SLU 1
Fort Myers, serving as the designated home team, opened the scoring with a run in the first. With two on and two outs in the second, Harry Genth pulled a double down the left field line to extend the lead to 3-0.
Mussels’ starter Merit Jones (4-1) dazzled over five shutout innings. It was his team leading fifth appearance with five innings of work. He struck out six Mets without issuing a walk. Jones now paces the Florida State League with 84.2 innings on the season.
Brent Franciso (S2) worked the final two innings and threw 17 of his 21 pitches for strikes.
The duo did not issue a walk in the game and the lone Met run came after a miscommunication in the outfield led to a one-out triple in the seventh.
UP NEXT:
The series continues on Friday, July 24. Jason Reitz (3.14) starts for the Mussels opposite Christian Rodriguez (4.53) who starts for the Mets. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. with coverage beginning at 5:55 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.