Unlikely Hero Goodnoe Slams Door as Snappers Topple Squeeze

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - A game that featured 19 runs, 17 hits and six errors ended with the Orlando Snappers evening the series against the Winter Garden Squeeze with a 10-9 victory Friday night. The offense delivered throughout the lineup, and an unlikely hero emerged to shut down the volatile Squeeze attack and secure the win.

The Snappers spread the production throughout the order to manufacture 10 runs. Nine different players recorded a hit, and nine players also scored. Angel Mendoza led the team with two hits, while James Hankerson Jr. crossed the plate twice.

It's no secret that the Snappers aren't afraid to get creative with their pitching. They regularly cover innings with so-called two-way players, even if those players haven't pitched competitively in years.

Another unlikely pitching hero emerged Friday night.

Orlando once held an 8-3 lead over the Squeeze but saw it disappear in the bottom of the seventh inning. Winter Garden had just tied the game at 8-8 and still had the bases loaded with two outs. Snappers pitching coach Tyler Keysor handed the ball to Cole Goodnoe, the catcher from St. Johns River State.

Goodnoe hadn't pitched in a competitive game since his early high school days.

He climbed the mound and struck out Wilfredo Soto to strand the bases loaded. Goodnoe then worked the eighth and ninth innings almost exclusively with his fastball, allowing just one run and earning the victory.

"I was just thinking, 'Don't lose. Get ahead. Attack,'" Goodnoe said after the game. "I just wanted to help the team win."

Goodnoe struck out three Squeeze hitters swinging, all on fastballs, a result the catcher likely couldn't have imagined before first pitch. His performance added another chapter to Orlando's season-long story of finding pitching contributions from unexpected places.

Goodnoe's heroics and the balanced offensive effort avenged Thursday night's loss, but one more game remains at Horizon High School. Saturday night's rubber match against Winter Garden begins at 6 p.m. as both teams look to claim the series victory.

Theo Shernoff (Michigan)