WINTER PARK, Fla (June 24, 2018) – The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs finished a rough week with a record of 1-3.  The week included a few blowouts and an extra inning victory.

On Monday, the Diamond Dawgs took their biggest loss of the season against the Sanford River Rats.  The game only lasted seven innings, as the FCSL mercy rule was applied in an 11-1 loss.

Winter Park got on the board in the top of the first inning with a run, but the River Rats responded with 11 unanswered.  Sanford would go on to hit three homeruns in their home park to even the season series at two games apiece.

Tuesday’s game saw a more competitive matchup, which is typical between these two teams.  Coming into Tuesday, the River Rats and Diamond Dawgs had played four games against each other, three of which were decided by one run.  This one ended up being another one run game, as the Diamond Dawgs prevailed 9-8 in 10 innings.

An eight run fifth inning gave the Diamond Dawgs an 8-1 lead.  However, the River Rats would scratch their way back to tie the game in the ninth inning.  Winter Park would scratch across a run on a passed ball in the tenth inning and hold on for another extra inning win over Sanford, the second of the season.  Christian Snow (Mobile) went 4-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a walk to help secure the win for the Diamond Dawgs.

Winter Park won yet another game in which Brooks Brophy (Alabama Huntsville) started on the mound.  He had his longest outing of the season, throwing six innings and striking out six.  His team has won every game he has pitched in.

Wednesday’s rubber matchup with Sanford was cancelled due to rain.  Thursday’s contest was also cancelled due to weather.  That game would’ve been the series opener against the first place Leesburg Lightning.

On Friday the Diamond Dawgs traveled to Leesburg.  The Lightning would extend their winning streak to 12 games as they beat Winter Park by a score of 9-2.

The Diamond Dawgs left nine runners on base in Friday’s game, including a squandered bases loaded opportunity in the first inning.

Saturday was supposed to feature a double header between the Diamond Dawgs and the Lightning in Winter Park.  Game one got underway with a 1-0 lead in favor of the Lightning.  In the middle of the second, the game had to be suspended to a later date due to weather in the area.

Game two of the double header got underway a little later than expected.  Because of the scheduled double header, both games would be seven inning contests.

It was a competitive contest through the first five innings.  The Lightning put up four runs in the first two innings combined, but the Diamond Dawgs would answer with a run in the bottom of the second to make it 4-1

Chandler Robertson (UCF) would double in the bottom of the fourth and eventually come around to score.  He was the only Diamond Dawg to cross home plate as he scored the only two runs for his team in his first game with them.

Leesburg would go on to blow the game out of proportion.  The Lightning put up five runs in the sixth and in the seventh to eventually win the game by a score of 14-2.

The season rolls on, and the Diamond Dawgs will matchup with the Deland Suns on Monday and Tuesday for their second series of the season.  The series features a home and home, with the Diamond Dawgs playing in Deland on Monday and Winter Park on Tuesday.  Winter Park took two of three in their last series, their only loss coming on a five inning shortened game due to weather.

Wednesday will see the Sanford River Rats come to Winter Park, but will officially be played as a home game for the Rats.  This is a makeup of opening day’s rainout.

Thursday opens up a three game set with the Seminole County Scorpions.  The Diamond Dawgs split a home-and-home series with the Scorpions earlier in the season.  Both games were blowouts, as Seminole County won their game at home by a score of 13-6, while Winter Park beat the Scorpions 14-3 via the mercy rule at home.

The Diamond Dawgs will play their first game on a Sunday, as they open a Sunday-Monday-Tuesday series with the Winter Garden Squeeze, showcasing the second battle in the “Winter War.”  This series leads Winter Park into July 4th, a day they have off.  The Diamond Dawgs last game before the All-Star break is in Deland on the fifth.  The FCSL All-Star Game takes place on July 7, 2018 at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Ken Landis (UCF)