SANFORD, FL — Just like he has been doing all season long, Sanford River Rats outfielder Jarrod Cande (Florida Southern) took Sunday afternoon’s All-Star Game by storm and was named the MVP of the game. 

The FCSL All-Star Game featured eight Sanford River Rats on the East All-Star team after Justin Farmer (FIU) was unable to participate and was replaced by DeLand Suns player Hunter Fornari (Florida Gulf Coast). The East All-Star team defeated the West All-Star team 5-2 at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Cande set the scoring of the game from the start as he recorded a two-RBI single that squeaked by the middle of the West infield in the bottom of the first. Cande’s single scored his River Rat teammate Trent Taylor (UCF) and Suns outfielder Mark Townsend (Stetson). The MVP Cande finished the day one-for-three with a walk, a run and two RBIs. 

Tony Rossi (West Florida) was the first River Rats pitcher to enter the game when he threw in the top of the third inning. Rossi was the first relief pitcher out of the bullpen where he pitched the entire half inning only allowing one runner on base off of a walk. Rossi also struck out one batter during his hitless inning. 

Thomas Broyles (Missouri) was the next Rats hitter to make his mark on the All-Star Game with a single in short left field in the bottom of the fourth inning. Broyles made numerous grabs in centerfield as well and proved why he deserved the starting nod in the East All-Star outfield. 

Still holding a 2-0 lead, the East All-Star team turned to Rats Logan Frasier (State College of Florida) in the top of the fifth inning for relief pitching. He faced Winter Park Diamond Dawg Luis Cabrera (Southeastern) first and gave up a deep double to center field that bounced off the outfield wall. After that, Frasier retired the next three West All-Star batters and continued the shutout for the East.

Connor Allen (UCF) stepped into the batter’s box for the first time in the bottom of the sixth inning and was nailed by a pitch in the back of his right knee cap. All of his Rats teammates hollered in laughter as Allen has been hit by the most pitches in all of the FCSL this season. Allen then hit a single in the bottom of the eighth inning and eventually scored on Suns hitter Alan Alonso’s (Mount Olive) double that also scored Cande. 

Francis Villaman (FIU) was a solid option in the field all game at shortstop, but his bat came alive in the bottom of the seventh inning. He was the leadoff hitter and nailed a shot to deep right field off the wall and sprinted to third for a triple to get things going for the East in the seventh. Villaman eventually scored on the next batter as Suns catcher Christian Pregent (Stetson) hit a single that brought Villaman home.

The final River Rats player to make their 2019 All-Star Game debut was Brock Myers (Tennessee Tech) in the top of the ninth inning. Myers had a three-run security blanket with the East in the lead 5-2, and Myers shined just like he has all season long.

Myers surrendered a leadoff single to Leesburg Lightning player Tate Mathis (North Alabama) to start things off in the ninth. Myers then retired the next three West All-Star batters and secured the win for the East as Myers picked up the save on the game.

The Sanford River Rats (14-12) represented the city of Sanford well in the All-Star Game as every Rats player showed up in some way in the box score. As the River Rats transition into the final three weeks of the regular season, the team will start a three-game series tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. against the Seminole County Scorpions (4-19) at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Zach Miles (University of Georgia)