WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (July 21, 2011) – The Winter Haven Loggerheads picked up their second consecutive win as the Loggerheads rolled past the Sanford River Rats, 5-1, Thursday night at Chain of Lakes Park.

 

The Loggerheads (11-19) kept the Rats scoreless through five innings before Sanford was able to plate their only run of the game in the top of the sixth. Sanford managed to scatter five hits and committed one error.

 

Winter Haven jumped out to an early 4-0 lead scoring a pair of runs in the second and third innings. The Loggerheads scored their final run of the contest in the bottom of the seventh. Winter Haven outhit the Rats 10-5, but had two blemishes on the field.

 

Sam Halpern (Barry) and Kevin Clements (Trinity) had two hits, a run scored and an RBI, while Clements tallied a stolen base.

 

In the bottom of the second, Halpern hit a one-out double and scored on a Clements double. The Trinity product then advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Daniel Gonzlaes (Rice) RBI single.

 

Justin Burgess (Montevallo) and Kyle Campbell (Stetson) scored the Loggerheads two runs in the bottom of the third, as they both advanced a base on a Sanford wild pitch and crossed the plate on an error down the leftfield line.

 

Campbell scored his second run in the seventh on a bases-clearing double.

 

The Loggerheads recorded another solid pitching performance from their starter as Bryan Poland (Benedictine College) worked six innings on the hill and had four punch-outs. Poland earned his third win of the season and is tied for second in the league for most wins.

 

Winter Haven’s bullpen kept the wheels in motion, as they only allowed one hit in three innings of play.

 

Sanford starter JR Edwards (Lehigh) was charged with the loss as he tossed six complete innings, recording three strikeouts.