sfoggi posted on July 01, 2011 23:13
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (July 1, 2011) – The Winter Haven Loggerheads scored a pair of runs late in the game to avoid being shutout as the Sanford River Rats downed the Loggerheads, 8-2, at Chain of Lakes Park Friday night.
The Loggerheads scored their pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth as Sam Halpern (Barry) hit a double to plate Sean O’Brien (Florida State) for the first run. Halpern then made his way to third on a stolen base and crossed the plate on a Nick Geary (Georgetown) sacrifice fly.
Winter Haven scored the two runs on five hits, while committing two errors. With the loss, the Loggerheads fall to 7-11 on the season.
O’Brien led Winter Have offensively with two hits and a run scored. Halpern (stolen base) and Geary each had a hit and an RBI, while Justin Burgess (Montevallo) added a knock as well.
Charged with the loss for Winter Haven was starting pitcher Peter Miller (Florida State, 2-1). The right-handed hurler recorded six strikeouts, giving up three earned runs in five innings of work.
Sanford (7-10-1) took an early lead scoring four runs between the second and fourth frame, followed by another four runs between the seventh and eighth. Despite scoring eight runs on four hits, the River Rats committed four defensive miscues.
River Rats starting pitcher JR Edwards (Lehigh) had a no-hitter through the first three innings, before giving up a hit in the fourth to Geary. Edwards got the winning nod tossing six full innings, giving up two hits. The right-handed pitcher gave up his only other hit in his final inning of work on O’Brien’s base hit.
James Ramsay (South Florida), TJ Gavlik (North Florida), and Johnny Mazur (Florida Tech) led the Rats with two hits apiece.
The Loggerheads will next head to Sanford as the square off against the River Rats in a Saturday doubleheader. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.