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Winter Garden, Fl- The Winter Garden Squeeze played host to the Sanford River Rats at 11 am at Olympia High school on Wednesday morning in a game that included a combined total of 21 runs scored. 

On the mound for the Squeze was Jack Bellah (West Florida), this is the first time this summer we have seen Bellah get a start on the mound, he was lights out threw 5 innings before running into some trouble in the 6th. Bellah's final line was 5.1 IP, 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. For the Rats it was Arturo Ormaza (St. Thomas) on the bump, Ormaza did not have the same success as Bellah did as he was only able to pitch just 2 and a third innings, giving up 5 runs, 4 being charged as earned, letting up 6 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 2. 

The Scoring got started in the bottom of the 1st inning when Tripp Mckinlay (Undecided) blasted a solo home run over the wall that would make the score 1-0 Squeeze early. 

In the bottom of the 3rd, Ormaza was able to get the first out of the inning before the Squeeze jumped on him for a 4 spot in the inning. The first run of the inning came on a Matthew Prevesk (UCF) RBI single that brought in Kyle Singer (Rollins). Todd Clay (Pensacola State) kept his hot streak going when he was able to knock in Prevesk on a RBI single of his own. The very next batter in Santino Rao (Northwestern) collected his first of 4 RBIs on the day with another RBI single by the Squeeze that brought in McKinlay, that run was charged as unearned because McKinlay reached on a error. Tyler Dowdy (West Florida) put the stamp on the 4 run inning when he hit yet another Squeeze RBI single and the 4th of the inning bringing in Clay to make the score 5-0.

The Rats were finally able to get to Bellah in the top of the 5th inning when Jaiden Warde (Florida Southern) hit a RBI double that brought around Nicholas Collins (Undecided) for their first run of the day. 

Sanford was able to put up a much needed 3 spot in the 6th inning. It started with a fielders choice hit to the second basemen off the bat of Collins that brought in Nathan Blasick (New Orleans). With a new pitcher in Jake Feffer (William and Mary) on the mound, Nelson Taylor (Florida St) kept the line moving when he hit a sacrifice to the first baseman that brought in Pat Macdonald (Cal St San Marcos). McGwire Hotbrook (Florida St) finished off the 3 run inning when he hit a RBI single bringing in Connor Hujsack (Mississippi St). 

The Rats would turn to Ethan Van Scoy (Allegheny County Boyce) out of the pen for the bottom of the 6th inning, Van Scoy was able to get out of the inning giving up just 1 unearned run when Luis Antigua (Oklahoma Wesleyan) scored on a Zackary Stokes (West Florida) RBI single. 

Both teams would go quiet for the remainder of the game until the 9th inning. The Rats took the lead in this one very late with Feffer still on the mound, putting up a 5 spot in the top of the 9th. It got started when Matthew Cedarburg (UCF) hit a single that brought in Taylor for the score. Stewart Puckett (South Florida) continued the inning with another single that this time would bring in JQuann Smith (Polk State). A couple batters after Smith, Blasick was drilled by a pitch with the bases loaded that brought in Cedarburg. The next batter Macdonald was also walked with the bases loaded that brought in Warde. The 5 run inning was concluded when Justin Stewart (Florida Southern) hit a sacrifice fly to center field that would allow Puckett to tag up and touch the plate. 

The Squeeze were down to their last out when Rao got into one that was launched over the fence for a 3 run shot tying this game up all over again. His homer brought in Prevesk, Singer, and of course Rao himself. 

The Rats continued the late offensive outburst with Fisher Sheffield (Keystone) on the bump now. Holbrook took the lead for the Rats when he blasted the third home run of the game, and Taylor also scored a few batters later with Warde at the dish to make the score 11-9. 

The Squeeze put up a fight to tie the game again but it was cut short by 1 run. Michael Young (Pensacola State) put them a little bit loser when he hit a RBI single that brought in Brandon Fields (Southeastern) but that would be all. 

The final score of this game was 11-10, the Squeeze surrendered an early 5 run lead in what could have been a big game for them standings wise. They now must turn the page quickly as they will be back at it again on Thursday afternoon in DeLand at Conrad Park to play a double header against the Suns starting at 4:30 pm. 

Christian Rapoza (Full Sail University)