Two-Out Rally Sparks Snappers' Comeback Win

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Snappers took down the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs late Friday night by a score of 8-7, thanks to a late comeback.

The Snappers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the back of Elvin Figueroa's blast to straightaway center field, his second home run of the season. Figueroa, the first baseman out of Rollins, also drew two walks in a productive night at the plate.

Ryon Smith got the start for Orlando, and the incoming freshman struck out seven over four innings of work, showing off his two-fastball mix and his slurve.

The two-run lead soon evaporated as the Dawgs scored six unanswered runs, building a comfortable cushion heading into the bottom of the seventh. The first two Snappers went down in order, leaving Cole Goodnoe at the plate with the bases empty and two outs.

Cue the two-out rally.

Four of the next five Snappers reached via walk, and Roy Rodriguez ripped a two-run double in the midst of the free-pass parade. A costly Winter Park error on a fly ball by James Hankerson Jr. allowed two more runs to score, and in the blink of an eye, the Snappers had tied the game at 6-6.

A clean top of the eighth from Roberto Alvarez set the table for Orlando to take the lead in the bottom half. A clutch single by Ty Kennedy broke the tie, and the Snappers carried an 8-6 lead into the ninth.

The Diamond Dawgs did not go down quietly. They quickly loaded the bases, prompting Orlando to turn to Angel Mendoza to lock down the save opportunity.

According to the FanGraphs Run Expectancy Matrix, a team is expected to score 2.69 runs with the bases loaded and nobody out. With a two-run lead, Orlando could not afford that scenario.

Mendoza navigated the jam, allowing just one run before inducing a deep flyout to the right-field warning track to end the game. When the dust settled, the Snappers had escaped with a hard-fought 8-7 victory.

The comeback win was Orlando's second of the season after trailing by four runs. The Snappers snapped a two-game losing streak and will look to carry that momentum into Saturday's doubleheader against the Diamond Dawgs. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 4 p.m. at The First Academy.

Theo Shernoff (Michigan)