SANFORD, FL — Saturday night’s matchup between the Sanford River Rats and the Winter Garden Squeeze featured a double-header in which the River Rats won both affairs. The River Rats won the defensive battle in the first game 2-1 and then secured the 4-1 victory in game two.

Game one was highlighted by the 2019 debut for the River Rats Josh Crouch (UCF) who recorded a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Austin Dilbert (Stetson) in the top of the third inning. Crouch then came around the bases and scored in the sixth after doubling and later scoring off of a Squeeze wild pitch.

After playing a role in each of the runs scored for the River Rats, the 2018 star of the team and now 2019 player was happy with his season debut.

“I was just trying to keep things simple and not overswing, and it worked out to get some barrels today,” the former Cape Cod League player Crouch said following the first game. “I’m just working on trying to get a championship for the team.”

Jeremy Peel (St. Leo) got the starting nod on the pitcher’s mound and recorded five innings of pitching for the River Rats. Peel wrung up seven hitters on strikeouts only allowing four hits and one earned run. Peel found success by starting off with fastballs down the middle and finishing batters off with off-speed changeups and sliders.

Jackson Sloan (Undecided) and Brock Myers (Tennessee Tech) finished the game in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively to secure the win for the River Rats. The relief duo combined for no hits and three combined strikeouts in the shortened seven-inning game.

Following the 30-minute intermission between games, the River Rats picked up exactly where they left off in the first game for game two.

Justin Farmer (FIU) led things off in the bottom of the first as he reached second base on an error from Squeeze second basemen Marcus Judd (Edward Waters). Farmer eventually scored the first run of the game to give the River Rats a 1-0 lead that they would never give up.

The River Rats sealed the victory with a big inning in the bottom of the fourth. The River Rats have found the most success as they have scored in bunches with big single innings in a decent amount of their wins.

Their three-run fourth inning started with a leadoff triple from Francis Villaman (FIU) who later scored on a Jackson Muldowney (Undecided) double into left field in the next at-bat. Humberto Torres (FIU) followed Muldowney’s double with one of his own that hugged the foul line in left field which scored Muldowney giving Torres his fifth RBI in his last two outings. Farmer added an RBI single to his stat line later in the inning that brought Torres home.

Carlos Soto (KCKCC) started the second game pitching and only pitched two innings after working his pitch count to well over 50 pitches early on. Soto pitched two hitless innings, but he walked home a run on a hit by pitch to Wesley Faison (Texas State) which scored Anthony Dorak (Belmont Abbey). The hit by pitch was one of two from Soto which also included four walks.

Tony Rossi (State College of Florida), Logan Frasier (State College of Florida), JJ Galvis (St. Thomas and Nick Cummings (Undecided) finished out the night in five innings of relief as each pitcher only gave up one hit apiece in the scoreless five they all contributed to. 

For the Winter Garden Squeeze (4-23-1), this now extends their winless streak to 19 games as the Squeeze are 0-18-1 in their last 19 games. The Squeeze will play the Seminole County Scorpions on Sunday at 11:00 a.m for their next game. 

The Sanford River Rats (17-13) will have three days off due to the Prospect Showcase in North Carolina over the next few days. The River Rats will be back in action on Wednesday at home against the DeLand Suns to start the four-game series. This series is huge for each team as the Suns are in second in the league standings, and the River Rats are currently in third place, five games back from the Suns.

Zach Miles (University of Georgia)