Diamond Dawgs Fall Late to Snappers

ORLANDO, Fla. -The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs saw a four-run lead slip away Friday night as the Orlando Snappers rallied for an 8-7 victory in a back-and-forth Florida Collegiate Summer League matchup.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning on a two-run homer by Elvin Figueroa Mestre, the Dawgs responded with six unanswered runs. Evan Taveras got Winter Park on the board with a solo home run in the third inning before Canyon Marcewicz delivered a two-run double in the fourth to give the Dawgs a 3-2 lead.

The offense continued to roll in the fifth. Clay Mitchell drove in a run with a groundout, and Andrew Barr followed with a two-run double to push the advantage to 6-2. Barr finished with two RBIs, while Marcewicz also drove in two runs.

Winter Park starter Cameron Hanes was sharp through five innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out 11 batters.

Orlando mounted its comeback in the seventh inning, scoring four runs to tie the game at 6-6. Two of those runs scored as a result of defensive miscues, as the Dawgs committed three errors in the contest. The Snappers then took the lead in the eighth on an RBI single by Ty Kennedy before adding an insurance run later in the inning.

Winter Park refused to go quietly and plated a run in the ninth, but the rally fell just short. The Dawgs finished with 10 hits, highlighted by Taveras' home run, Barr's RBI double and a three-hit performance from Houston Hosford.

Despite the loss, the Diamond Dawgs showcased their offensive firepower, but late defensive struggles proved costly as Orlando completed the comeback and secured an 8-7 victory.

Justin Baltes (UCF)