DELAND, Fla.- In a back-and-forth battle between the DeLand Suns and the Winter Garden Squeeze on Saturday night, it was the Suns that landed the final blow.

DeLand scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a wild 13-12 victory over Winter Garden on Melching Field, keeping the Suns in second place and moving DeLand's winning streak over the Squeeze to four games.

Early on, it seemed that the Squeeze would cruise to a victory after the scheduled doubleheader was shortened into one nine inning contest. After scoring a run in the top of the first inning on a double play ball, Winter Garden plated six in the second. Runs for the Squeeze were scored on a Dawson Posick (Daytona State) single, a walk to Matt Morgan (Manhattan), a wild pitch, an Aaron Anderson (Flagler) single, an error, and a groundout.

The Suns got one run back in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to a pair of two out hits. Kyle Ball (Stetson) got on base on a hit by pitch, and a double from Geordon Blanton (Marshall) drove the run in to cut the Squeeze lead to 7-1.

DeLand's rally began in the bottom of the third, when the Suns scored five runs after a scoreless top half tossed by Nick Chiseri (Miami Dade). The Suns loaded the bases on three walks, and Joe Burke (Kentucky Wesleyan) drove in a run when he was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch scored Jarrett Backus (Lake Sumter), Brayden Sisson (Kentucky Wesleyan) brought in two runs with a double. An infield single from Ball brought the Suns within one at 7-6.

After giving up a run in the top of the fourth, the Suns took the lead with a four-run bottom half. DeLand loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, with a passed ball getting the Suns back within a run. With two outs in the inning, Blanton singled to tie the game, and Wade Stauss (Southeast Missouri) ripped a two-run single to give the Suns their first lead of the game, 10-8.

The lead remained 10-8 through the seventh inning, primarily due to the efforts of new Sun Luke Ostenson. The Topeka, Kansas native worked three scoreless innings with four strikeouts after recording 21 strikeouts in nine innings in the Futures League. 

Winter Garden reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth with four runs. A wild pitch pulled the Squeeze within one run, and an RBI single from Michael Cullen (Chipola) tied the game at ten. Pinch hitter Luke Reidy (Rollins) gave Winter Garden the lead with a two-run single with two outs.

However, the Suns would find one final answer in the bottom of the eighth to land the final blow in Saturday's heavyweight bout. Sisson led off the inning with a double, and a single from Alonso and the ensuing throw put runners on second and third. Ball tied the game at 12 on a single, and moved up to third on a steal and a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Spencer Yankle then came up with the biggest hit of the night, an RBI single up the middle to provide the decisive run.

Jason Crumley (Winthrop) recorded the final four outs of the game for the Suns, and moved his ERA down to 0.64 while earning his first victory of the season.

After an off day on Sunday, the Suns will return to action for the first of two games with the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. First pitch at Melching Field on Monday night is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.