WINTER PARK, Fla. (June 10, 2011) - In a back and forth contest, the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs had the final say scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out an 8-7 victory against the Winter Haven Loggerheads at Alfond Stadium.

 

“This win is a tribute to the kind of team we have,” said Head Coach Kevin Davidson. “We have a bunch of gamers that battle.”

 

Action was underway from the get-go as Ted Blackman (St. Petersburg CC) got the Diamond Dawgs off to a fast start in the opening frame on leadoff walk and put himself in scoring position as he stole second. Two outs later, after an Austin Chubb (Florida Southern) walk, B.J. Zimmerman (State College of Florida) hit a single into right field to drive in Blackman.

 

Winter Haven wasted no time and answered right back in the top of the second inning. Chris Pagliarulo (Boston College) and Sam Halpern (Barry University) started off the inning with back-to-back walks. With no outs, Sean O’Grady (Benedictine College) laid down a sacrifice bunt, but was safe on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing both Pagliarulo and Halpern to score, while O’Grady advanced to second base. The Loggerheads did not stop there. After making it to third on a ground ball to the short stop, O’Grady scored on a Nicholas Geary (Georgetown) sacrifice fly to make things 3-1.

 

Winter Haven tacked on one run in the top of the fifth inning, but Winter Park continued to chip away as they scored one run as well, making it a 5-2 ball game. Reed Reznicek (Indiana University) did not allow a hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to keep Winter Park within striking distance.

 

Things got closer in the sixth inning, as the Diamond Dawgs scored two more runs. With one out and Zimmerman on first via a walk, Alex Cruz (Georgia Tech) doubled to left field, allowing Zimmerman to come all the way around to score. Dustin DeMuth (Indiana University) then entered the game as a pinch hitter, and came through with a single to left center, plating Cruz, and narrowing the Loggerheads lead at 5-4.

 

Winter Haven managed to extend their lead in the top of the eighth inning, on a two out Halpern triple to right field, who then managed to score on a passed ball.

 

Still, the Diamond Dawgs battled back to tie things at six in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Cruz reached base on an error by the short stop and DeMuth followed that with another single. 

 

In one of the crucial moments of the game, with two outs and runners on second and third, Stephen Holden (Lake Sumter Community College) came through in the clutch with a single to right field, driving in Cruz and DeMuth.

 

“We were never really worried,” said second baseman Michael Reed (Auburn University). “It was just a matter of when.”

 

In the top of the ninth, things got dicey as Geary got things going for Winter Haven as he made it to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Kevin Clements (Trinity University) then laid down a sacrifice bunt, and on a very close play at third base Geary was safe. That brought Andrew Sterling (Dickinson College) to the plate with runners on first and third with no outs. Sterling drove Geary in on a fielder’s choice, but that would be all the Loggerheads could do, as Reed’s defense kept Winter Haven from breaking the game wide open. With the infield in, Reed got Winter Park’s first out by throwing Michael Heller (University of Florida) out at first base. He also prevented Clements from scoring by throwing him out at home. Reed got the final out on a Pagliarulo ground ball that he flipped to DeMuth at second for the easy out.

 

When the inning was all said and done, it was 7-6 in favor of Winter Haven.

 

Winter Park refused to go down without a fight as Michael Danner (Polk State College) and Chubb started off the bottom of the ninth with back to back walks, which was followed by a Zimmerman bloop single to right field, leaving the bases loaded for Cruz.

 

With a 2-2 count, Cruz sealed the deal as he laced a single into left field, sending the Diamond Dawgs faithful home with a walk off win.

 

“I was just looking for a pitch I could drive,” said Cruz.

 

Chris Waltermire (Polk State College) picked up his first win of the season in two innings of relief for Winter Park. Loggerheads right-hander Jeff Dally took the loss for Winter Haven in two-thirds of work.

 

The Diamond Dawgs are off for the next couple of days, and will take on the visiting Sanford River Rats at Alfond Stadium on Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m.