Squeeze Can't Recover from Early Hole in 16-2 Loss

Sanford, Fla. — Entering Tuesday's matchup, both the Winter Garden Squeeze and Sanford River Rats were searching for their first victory of the 2026 season. However, Sanford's nine-run first inning put the game out of reach almost immediately.

Left-hander Jacob Thomas (Eckerd) drew the start for Winter Garden but struggled with his command in a brief outing. The southpaw recorded just one out while issuing six walks and hitting two batters. He was charged with eight earned runs despite not allowing a hit. Of the 41 pitches he threw, only 10 were strikes.

Another left-hander, Jason Sawyer (Undecided), entered with the bases loaded and one out. He allowed the game's first hit, a two-run single by Enzo Ercole (Seminole State), extending Sanford's lead to 6-0. Jordan Marlo (Florida Southwestern) followed with an RBI single, giving the River Rats their second hit of the inning.

Sawyer finished his outing having allowed four earned runs over 1 2/3 innings.

The Squeeze got on the board in the top of the second inning after Sanford starter Chase Marsh issued walks to Edwin Melendez (Undecided) and Josh Schaller (Peru State). Both runners later scored on wild pitches, trimming the deficit to 9-2.

Right-hander Nick Rich (Embry-Riddle) shouldered the bulk of the workload for Winter Garden, providing valuable innings out of the bullpen. He tossed three innings while navigating a 30-minute rain delay in the bottom of the fourth and allowed three earned runs while striking out three.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Squeeze had their leadoff batter reach base in five of the seven innings played. Melendez paced the offense with two hits, while Osjun Rivas (Lake-Sumter State) recorded the club's only other hit.

The Squeeze return to action Wednesday for a makeup game against the DeLand Suns. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Melching Field at Conrad Park.

Zach Moore (University of Florida)