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Winter Garden, Fla. - The Squeeze began their second series of 2025 against the Leesburg Lightning by splitting their doubleheader 6-1 and 10-4 at Horizon High School on Friday.

 

What was supposed to be a four game series played across five days, with one rest day included, ended up needing to be moved to a two game seven-inning doubleheader due to weather delays.

 

Game 1:

 

Interestingly, the first of the doubleheader saw all of the runs scored in the same inning.

The game started off with the top of the Lightning’s batting order being retired in order after starting pitcher Liam Furey (University of West Florida) picked off Julian Irrizarry (University of Pittsburgh) at the first base bag.

 

Furey was solid in his fourth start of the summer for the Squeeze. He threw five full innings while only allowing four hits, one unearned run and striking out three batters.

 

Leesburg got the scoring started in the top of the second inning when Reid Snider (Louisiana Tech) crossed home plate off of a dropped fly ball in center field.

 

Winter Garden responded to opponent scoring in a big way by putting up all six of their runs on the board in the very next frame. They capitalized on several mistakes from the visitors.

 

Zacharias Walker (Hillsborough CC) kicked things off by lining an RBI double into the outfield to bring around Dominic Donatucci (State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota) and Sean Stafford (Folsom Lake) and put the Squeeze up by one early.

 

Michael Thomas (Edward Waters) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two more runners rounded the bases off of fielding errors by the Lightning.

Finally, Nico Banez (Dartmouth) forced a fielder’s choice that made room for Thomas to extend the lead to 6-1 after just two innings of play.

 

As previously mentioned, this would be the end of the scoring for the day’s first matchup. Throughout the remainder of the game, neither side was able to continue or regain momentum. Both teams put runners on base several times, but failed to convert.

 

Game 2:

 

The final game of the back-to-back between the league’s third and fourth place teams commenced about a half hour after the first finished.

 

This contest was far more closely contested than the former and up for grabs until the final two innings.

 

Pitchers struggled early in this one, as both teams consistently put batters on the base paths. However, similar to the second half of the first game, both sides failed to advance anyone to home plate.

 

In fact, Leesburg had to pull their starter fairly quick into the matchup after walking several batters consecutively.

 

The scoring would begin in the third inning. In the top half, the Lightning scored twice after Ryan Jenkins (Carson-Newman) forced a fielder’s choice that allowed Grant Jordan (Pasco Hernando CC) and Irrizarry to score and put the visitors up 2-0.

 

Once again, the Squeeze found a big response in the next half inning. FCSL week two Player of The Week Drew Pynes (St Petersburg) sacrificed a fly ball into right field and Banez tagged up to score.

 

Mason Mojica (Polk State) hit a two RBI single which advanced Jordan Marlo (University of West Georgia) and Gabriel Rodriguez (Warner) across home plate to give the home team the lead at 3-2 after three.

 

Things would slow down, as neither team scored again for the next couple of innings, but the bulk of the action was yet to come.

 

In the top of the sixth, the Lightning found their stride and biggest offensive outburst of the day.

 

With one out and the bases loaded, Juan Orozco (Seminole State College of Florida) hit a sacrifice fly into left field and Cole Bullen (Florida) tagged up to tie the game. Ledger Pleasant (St Johns River State) scored on a catcher error after stealing third base to give the Lightning a one run lead.

 

Then, to cap it off, T.J. Socarras (University of Pittsburgh) sent a high fly ball over the left field wall for a three-run homer to extend the lead to 7-3.

 

Leesburg wasn’t done putting barrels to baseballs. In the seventh, Trey Craft hit a two RBI single to score Pleasant and Charlie Keller (Jacksonville State). Craft would then score himself on a pass ball after stealing both second and third base to put them up 10-3 with one half inning left to play.

 

Rodriguez advanced Walker home on an RBI single, but it was too late and the deficit was too large to overcome.

 

Winter Garden goes on the road to Leesburg to start the second half of this four game stretch against the Lightning on June 21 at Pat Thomas Stadium at 7:00 p.m.

 

Rickie Potts II (Syracuse University)