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WINTER PARK, Fla – The Sanford River Rats (17-8) saw their win streak improve to a season high five games after defeating the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (13-15) by a final of 4-2 on Monday night.

Winter Park struck first, scoring a run in each of the first three innings off of Rats starter Crosby Bringhurst (Oklahoma Wesleyan) as the Dawgs took an early 3-0 lead. Sanford would get on the board in the fifth as shortstop Danny Andzel (FSU) blasted his first home run of the summer.

“Josh Pearson told me that in order to hit a home run I had to treat it like wiffle ball so that’s what I did,“ Andzel said.

Sanford would tie the game at 3-3 with a two run sixth inning on an RBI single by Jack Gonzalez.

In the bottom of the inning, Winter Park would retake the lead as two Dawgs crossed the plate, making it a 5-2 game.

Brennan Holt (LSU) cut the deficit to one in the eighth, as he hit a home run over the score board in right field.

“I was really just trying to hit the ball hard and find some grass,” Holt said.

Sanford would tie the game at 5-5 in the ninth on a suicide squeeze from Clemente Inclan (UNC) which scored Jack Gonzalez (Rollins).

Julio Medina (Tampa) made his return to the mound for Sanford as he struck out the side in the ninth, sending the game to extras.

In the tenth, it would once again be Holt who came through, as he drove in LSU teammate Alex Milazzo on a sacrifice fly to left field. Holt said his approach was to drive something to the outfield.

Gonzalez would plate another pair of runs, giving Sanford an 8-5 lead as he lifted a home run to left center for this third long ball of the summer.

Medina worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to earn the win. Sanford improved to 2-1 in extra innings game and an impressive 10-4 on the road. The Rats win streak extended to five games, their longest streak of the season.

“We have a lot of momentum going on, we’re all loving it out here, playing to the best of our abilities…   keep scurrying on,” Holt said.

Sanford’s defense has now stranded 40 baserunners over their last four games, with a season high 12 coming on Monday as the Rats have been able to escape several tight spots on defense.

“There’s a little more chemistry, the whole team kind of just keeps coming along, so hopefully we can keep winning,” Andzel said.

The Rats are back in action on Tuesday night in Sanford as the DeLand Suns come to town for a 6:30 start.

Andrew Pawling (Florida Southern)