WINTER PARK, Fla.- One game will decide the Florida League championship, as the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs took Game 2 of the FCSL Finals against the DeLand Suns, 7-5, at Bishop Moore High School on Sunday night. The Dawgs rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-3 to force a decisive Game 3 in DeLand on Monday night.

The game got off to a great start for the Suns, who scored three runs in the top of the first. DeLand loaded the bases on two singles and a hit by pitch. Nick DeTringo (Tampa) scored the first run on a passed ball, and Scout McFalls (Winthrop) scored on a passed ball. A Joe Burke (Kentucky Wesleyan) groundout plated Matthew Mulkey (Winthrop), giving DeLand an early 3-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the first, Winter Park responded with three runs of their own. The Diamond Dawgs scored on a Cale Jones (Santa Fe CC) sacrifice fly, a Cristian Rivera (Webber International) double, and a wild pitch.

Neither team was able to score until the sixth, thanks to the pitching efforts of DeLand's Ryan Fultz (Troy) and Winter Park's William Ard (USC Aiken). The ice was broken in the top of the sixth, when the Suns took a 4-3 lead. Mulkey started the inning by reaching on an error, and moved around to third on a hit by pitch and an error. Geordon Blanton (Marshall) drove in the go-ahead run on sacrifice fly, giving the Suns the lead.

Winter Park took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, all of which came on the same play. Against DeLand reliever Mason Groves (Winthrop), the Dawgs put runners on first and second with two outs. Jeff Korte (Illinois) proceeded to double in both runners, and then score himself when he moved up to third on the throw and score on a DeLand error. 

The Diamond Dawgs added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Abraham Sequera (North Florida) led off the inning with a walk, and came around to score without the aid of a hit, moving around on a bunt and two wild pitches.

DeLand made things interesting in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with no outs. However, despite a run scoring, a double play snuffed out the Sun chances for a comeback.

The Winter Park win sets the stage for Game 3 Monday night at Melching Field in DeLand. The Suns are in search for their second Florida League championship, while a win would give Winter Park their fifth title. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.