Winter Park – The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs improved to 4-10 on the 2025 summer after defeating the Orlando Snapper in the first of a three-game set by a score of 4-1. After Winter Park had two tough one-run losses in a doubleheader on Saturday against DeLand, they are working to get back on track in the back half of the Florida League season.

This victory belonged to the Diamond Dawg pitchers, who entered today’s game with a 6.97 ERA, but did not allow a single earned run against the Snappers on Monday. It was Reilly Kuhar who gave Winter Park a solid 6 innings of work. The Snappers scored first in the first, but that is all they would go on to do offensively.

The Diamond Dawgs added their first two runs in the game in the fourth inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by Alex Espaillat (Alabama State) and an RBI single by Kai Lwin (Florida Atlantic). Lwin logged a multi-hit day, going 2-4. 

It was a close 2-1 ballgame entering the bottom of the seventh. Winter Park had the bases loaded for consecutive innings, and this time were able to drive two runs across thanks to new face Tyler Boyeson (Stetson), who came up with a huge two-run double in just his second at-bat this summer. 

Matthew Demetree (Thomas) came on in the ninth to shut the door on the Snappers in this one, and for Winter Park, pitching has been a struggle all season, but if the last three games are any indication, they might be on the right trajectory. The Diamond Dawgs have given up just seven runs in their previous three contests. With about 12 games remaining on the schedule, they have to make up about four games of ground on the fifth-place DeLand Suns if they want to be in the Florida League playoffs. 

As for the rest of this series, game two will take place at Alfond Stadium on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. EST. And after a Wednesday off day, the series will wrap up at Orlando’s home ballpark, The First Academy.

TJ French (University of Georgia)