PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 22, 2026) - Quentin Young homered and drove in four runs as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the St. Lucie Mets 12-9 on Wednesday afternoon at Clover Park.
In a game that saw 20 combined runs on 27 total hits, the Mighty Mussels (48-41, 11-13) scored five runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good over the Mets (42-48, 9-15) and level the series at one win apiece.
Mussels’ catcher Luis Hernandez opened the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the second. In the bottom of the frame, a misplay by Jayson Bass led to a leadoff triple for Mets No. 24 prospect Randy Guzman. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.
Fort Myers responded in the top of the third. Ramiro Dominguez walked with one out. Bass followed with a single to right, setting up first and third. Luis Fragoza then pulled a ball into the left field corner for a sacrifice fly.
The Mets got right back to work off Mussels’ starter Callan Fang in the third, plating two runs on two hits to take a 3-2 lead. Fang would exit after 2.2 innings and a season-high 57 pitches. He issued four walks in the frame and Jonathan Stevens came into a bases loaded jam with two outs. Stevens induced a groundout to retire the side.
Still trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Luis Fragoza reached on a dropped third strike to begin the inning. A double from JP Smith II set up second and third. Minnesota Twins No. 12 prospect Quentin Young then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to deep right field. A hit-by-pitch of L. Hernandez kept the line moving. Harry Genth then pulled a two-run go-ahead single to left, making it 5-3.
Once again, the Mets responded in the bottom of the frame, scoring four runs on five hits and retaking the lead 7-5. St. Lucie strung together three consecutive hits with two outs off of Stevens.
The Mussels got two of the runs right back in the sixth, re-tying the game 7-7 on an RBI single from Smith and a wild pitch from new Mets’ reliever Ernesto Mercedes (1-3).
Appearing in his first game in 33 days, Jake Murray (5-2) bent but didn't break in the bottom of the sixth. Murray loaded the bases on three singles, but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a flyout to keep the game tied.
In the seventh, Genth drew a leadoff walk. Ricardo Pena then connected on his first home run of the season, making it 9-7. Later in the frame, Young blasted an opposite field three-run shot to extend the lead to 12-7. Fort Myers sent nine men to the plate in the inning.
Adam Falinski (S3) covered the final three innings and allowed a pair of unearned runs.
The series continues with a doubleheader on Thursday, July 23. Fort Myers will be the designated home team in the second game, which is makeup from June 27. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. with coverage beginning at 3:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.