The St. Lucie Mets erased an early five-run deficit Sunday, scoring eight runs in the second inning to rally for an 11-8 victory over the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in the finale of a seven-game series at Clover Park.
Despite the comeback, Fort Myers won the series 4-3 and finished with an 8-4 advantage in the season series.
The Mighty Mussels jumped out to a 5-0 lead by scoring three runs in the first inning and two more in the second.
The Mets responded with eight runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead for good. Randy Guzman delivered the key hit with a two-out, two-run single that turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 advantage. Julio Zayas followed with a two-run single to extend the lead to 8-5.
St. Lucie added three more runs in the third inning. Elian Peña drove in a run with a single, Jacob Reimer hit an RBI double and Trey Snyder added a sacrifice fly to make it 11-5.
Conner Ware entered in relief in the third inning and held Fort Myers scoreless over the next four innings. Ware allowed one hit, walked one batter and struck out a career-high eight to earn the win. He struck out the side swinging in the fourth inning and struck out the side looking in the sixth.
Fort Myers scored three runs in the seventh inning against reliever Luis Sotillo, who was making his Mets debut. Sotillo recovered to retire six of the final seven batters he faced and finished the eighth inning.
Elwis Mijares pitched a perfect ninth inning on six pitches to record his third save.
Jeremy Rodriguez, batting ninth for the Mets, went 4 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Zayas and Peña each collected two hits.
Reimer, playing in his first Minor League Baseball rehab game while recovering from a groin injury, went 1 for 3 with a double, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. He played all nine innings at third base.
The Mets are 11-18 in the second half and 44-51 overall. After an off day Monday, they open a six-game road series against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Tuesday. First pitch at TD Ballpark is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.