sfoggi posted on July 02, 2011 20:11
SANFORD, Fla. (July 2, 2011) – The Winter Haven Loggerheads split Saturday night’s doubleheader as they captured a 6-4 victory in game one and were shutout 3-0 for the second time this season in the nightcap at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium.
Winter Haven 6, Sanford 4
In game one, the Loggerheads held a lead through 5 1/3 innings, before giving up a two-run single to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth. Winter Haven was able to score some insurance runs in extra-innings to lift them past the River Rats, 6-4.
Through three scoreless innings, Winter Haven (8-12) followed with three runs to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth. Rightfielder Sam Halpern (Barry), Sean O’Brien (Florida State), and Cody Slaughter (Brown) all scored to put the Loggerheads on the board.
Winter Haven starting pitcher Matt Fishman (Quincy, ND) found himself in a jam in the bottom of the third as he loaded the bases on a walk and back-to-back singles. Fishman then gave up another base hit to drive in the first Rats run. With bases still loaded and no outs, James Ramsey (South Florida) grounded into a double play, but not before plating Sanford’s second run.
In the top of the sixth, the Loggerheads extended their lead to 4-2 as Slaughter scored his second run of the game. The first baseman scored on an Andrew Sterling (Dickinson College) RBI single. Slaughter was 2-for-4 on the night with two runs and an RBI.
In the home half of the sixth, the Rats (8-11-1) took back a pair of runs as Austin Liput (USC-Upstate) and Johnny Mazur (Florida Tech) crossed the plate on a two-run single by Dominic Attanasio (Clemson) to tie the score at 4-all.
A scoreless seventh-inning would give the fans at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium some free baseball on Fourth of July weekend.
With one out in extras, Clements stepped to the plate and crushed a 1-0 count home run over the left field wall, his first and team second, to give Winter Haven the one-run advantage. Sterling, who reached base by way of walk, gave the Loggerheads a two-run cushion as he crossed the plate on a Justin Burgess (Montevallo) RBI single. Burgess led the team with three hits, to go along with a run-batted-in and a stolen base.
Southpaw Brady Rodriguez (Abilene Christian, 1-1), who relieved Fishman in the bottom of the sixth, did what he always does best. Rodriguez faced 13 batters, giving up no runs, two hits and was credited with the win in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Rats closer Justin Pickens (Stetson, 0-3) was charged with the loss in one inning of work.
Sanford 3, Winter Haven 0
Game two was a different story for the Loggerheads as they were unable to plate a run for the second time this season. Winter Haven scattered eight hits and committed one error.
Clayton Freimuth (Trinity, 0-3), who pitched a complete game in six innings of work, took the loss for the Loggerheads, while recording five punch-outs.
Burgess once again led the Loggerheads offensively with two hits; Michael Heller (Miami-Dade) also collected two hits.
Sanford took the 1-0 lead in the opening frame, followed by lone runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cap off the scoring.
Rats starting pitcher Ryan Heinz (George Washington, 2-0) worked five full innings to receive the winning nod. Closer Adam Maxon (Jacksonville, S2) picked up his second save of the season as he worked a 1-2-3 inning to shut the door on the Loggerheads.
The Loggerheads will be back in action on the Fourth of July at Orel Hershiser Field as Winter Haven takes on the Orlando Freedom. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.