Box Score

DELAND, Fla. - The Winter Garden Squeeze (6-30-1) recorded seven hits but fell short, 3-1, to the DeLand Suns (27-13) Saturday night at Melching Field.

DeLand struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring all three of their runs in the opening frame. With two runners on, Brandon Hylton (Stetson) delivered with an RBI double, then later in the inning, Joe Burke (Kentucky Wesleyan) drove in two more with a single.

The Squeeze countered in the top of the second inning. Cale Jones (Webber International) led off the frame with a single. With one out, Anthony Dorak (Belmont Abbey) and Luke Douglas (Spalding) loaded the bases with a single and a walk. Then, Justin Holmes (Seminole State) drove in Jones with an RBI single. Unfortunately for Winter Garden, they were unable to score more as Nicholas Chiseri (Stetson) retired the next two men he faced to end the threat.

From there, both offenses were able to put men in scoring position frequently but were unable to capitalize. The Suns left two men on base in the second, three in the sixth, one in the seventh, and two in the eighth for 11 left in total. The combination of Justin Driscoll (Rollins), Carson Schlegel (Lander), and Gerald Kelly (Georgia Southern) limited the damage for the Squeeze, combining for five scoreless innings in relief, only allowing four hits and striking out three.

Winter Garden, on the other hand, had a runner in scoring position in every inning from the fourth through the ninth inning but were unable to come up with a hit in the clutch as Nathan Palmer (Seminole State), despite walking six batters, only allowed two hits and struck out six, picking up the victory over five innings in relief.

Eight of the nine in the Squeeze lineup reached base at least once and no player had more than one hit in the loss.

“I saw several guys that were better than they were when we started [the summer], and to me, that’s a success,” Squeeze head coach Terry Abbott said about his team. “They didn’t quit, they hung in there until the very last out of the season.”

Winter Garden finishes their season with a 6-30-1 record.

Logan Whaley (Union Univ.)