Winter Garden Squeeze win opening series, lose in 2024 Florida League home opener

Sports

Following a 12-2 road win over the Orlando Snappers (1-2) to open the 2024 Florida Collegiate Summer League season, the Winter Garden Squeeze (2-1) fell in its home opener to the Snappers, 8-6, on Saturday, June 1 at A-Game Field at West Orange High School.

The Squeeze jumped out ahead first, scoring four runs in the bottom of the third, with Florida Southwestern University player Tripp Landers breaking the deadlock by knocking in college teammate Brody Pezza and UAB’s Todd Clay. Former West Orange High baseball player, currently at Embry-Riddle, Max McCluskey brought in the next run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Squeeze starting pitcher Micah Takac — a Mercer University player — was lights out in five innings of work; allowing just one hit and a walk, while striking out seven Snapper batters.

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With Takac pulled in the sixth inning, the Snappers made their run on the back of Winter Garden’s fielding errors — scoring four unearned runs and one earned run in the inning — taking a 6-5 lead. In the top of the ninth, after trading runs in the previous innings to make it 7-6, with the bases loaded Orlando’s Dawson Mock was walked and brought in Luke Dickerson to seal the win for the Snappers.

Winter Garden avenged the loss the following day at home and closed out the series with a 7-2 win over the Snappers. The Squeeze return home to the friendly confines of A-Game Field at West Orange High School on Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. for Game Two of its series against the Leesburg Lightning (2-1).

Tickets can purchased at the gate and are $10 for adults and $5 for military, seniors and children. To keep up with the Squeeze, follow them on social media at @SqueezeBaseball on Instagram and @WGSqueeze on X.com.

Sam Albuquerque is the Sports Editor for the Orange Observer. Please contact him with story ideas, results and statistics.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @SamBAlbuquerque

Instagram: @OrangeObserverSam

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Sam Albuquerque

A native of João Pessoa, Brazil, Sam Albuquerque moved in 1997 to Central Florida as a kid. After earning a communications degree in 2016 from the University of Central Florida, he started his career covering sports as a producer for a local radio station, ESPN 580 Orlando. He went on to earn a master’s degree in editorial journalism from Northwestern University, before moving to South Carolina to cover local sports for the USA Today Network’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his lovely wife, Sarah, newborn son, Noah, and dog named Skulí.