sfoggi posted on July 24, 2011 20:40
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 24, 2011) - For the second time this season, the Orlando Freedom defeated the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs 14-11.
The Dawgs reached double digits in the hits column for the third game in a row with 13, but they were outdone by the Freedom who amassed 16 hits.
Winter Park came out swinging hot bats right from the get go. With one out and runners on first and second, Patrick McGavin (University of Alabama) hit a three-run home run to right field to give the Dawgs a 3-0 lead. That was followed by an Alex Cruz (Georgia Tech) triple to centerfield, who would score on a fielder’s choice.
In the bottom of the frame, Orlando returned the favor. The Freedom quickly got two runs back, but the inning would be capped off by a Matt Frank (Jacksonville University) three-run home run to left centerfield, making it a 5-4 ball game after one inning of play.
“Not coming out and shutting the door after a big inning like that is tough,” said Assistant Coach Scott Hilinski.
The first inning alone was 35 minutes long as nine runs scored on nine hits and two errors between both teams.
“Any time you score four in the first and then they come back with five it’s like you didn’t even score the four,” said Head Coach Kevin Davidson.
Diamond Dawgs starting pitcher Jeremy Strawn (Florida Atlantic University) received his second loss of the season and came out of the game after the first inning because he was feeling under the weather.
Orlando tacked on their sixth run of the game in the bottom of the second inning, but the Dawgs responded with a run of their own in the top of the third.
The Diamond Dawgs were silenced in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings by reliever Joe Burns (Samford University). Burns picked up his second win of the season, giving up just four hits while striking out three.
“[Burns] came in throwing strikes and worked quickly,” said Hilinski.
By the end of the fifth inning, the Orlando Freedom held a five run lead.
What’s more, every time the Dawgs drew closer, the Freedom found a way to distance themselves. In the top of the eighth inning, Blake Hutton (Ohio State University) hit a home run to right field. The solo shot brought Winter Park within four runs, and they would add on a second run before the inning was all said and done.
However, Orlando put up a four spot in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead, 14-7.
Despite the seven run deficit, the Diamond Dawgs did not put their tails between their legs and go down quietly. They managed to score four runs, but the late inning rally was too little, too late.
Oddly enough, for a game that featured plenty of hitting, the Dawgs struck out nine times while the Freedom struck out 13 times.
Winter Park will look to rebound as they take on the Leesburg Lightning Monday, July 25 at 7 p.m. It will be the first of three scheduled match-ups between the teams this week.
Mitchell Adams (UCF)