Baseball / Loggerheads and Scorps draw due to lightning

Loggerheads and Scorps draw due to lightning

Date:  Source: Florida Collegiate Summer League

DELAND, Fla. - The Orlando Scorpions wanted a win in their final game of the season while the Seminole County Loggerheads were hoping to clinch a spot in the playoffs with a victory. Unfortunately, neither team got what it wanted. Due to a lengthy lightning delay, the contest was halted just two batters into the fifth inning and later ruled a 1-1 tie. Only four innings need to be completed for a seven inning game to be official. 

 

Seminole County started the scoring in the bottom of the first with a leadoff single by Andrew Brait (UCF). Brait stole second and then made it to third on a base hit by Brandon Drapeau (St. Josephs). Ryan Coleman (Rollins) then stepped up and lifted a ball to deep right easily scoring Brait for the first run of the game. After going into an early 3-0 hole against the DeLand Suns earlier in the day, the Loggerheads now had the advantage over the Scorpions.

 

Starter Justin Clark (West Virginia) was locked in on the mound for Seminole County. Over the first two innings, Clark retired six of the first seven batters he faced, three of which he struck out. However, Orlando was patient at the plate in the third, and it paid off for them. The first three batters reached base via the walk to load the bases with no outs and the top of the lineup looming. A ball didn’t even need to be put in play to tie things up as a wild pitch allowed Riley Wash (Pitt) to score from third. Clark retired the following six batters before allowing the first and only hit of his outing to Benjamin Blackwell (Dayton). The game was paused soon after, ending in a 1-1 tie.

 

Nick Pogue (Florida) was equally dominant on the bump for the Scorpions. After he allowed the two singles in the first innings, he retired eleven of the following twelve batters. The only exception was a walk in the third.

 

Orlando’s season has concluded as the Scorpions finish with a record of 13-5-1. As for Seminole County (5-15-1), it remains just one game up over the DeLand Suns for the final spot in the postseason. The Loggerheads need to beat the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs tomorrow in Sanford at 10 a.m. or need the Suns to lose against the Leesburg Storm in order to secure the sixth seed. A Seminole County loss combined with a DeLand win would see the Suns claim the final spot. Whichever team makes it in will play the Winter Garden Squeeze on Monday. 

 

Boxscore

 

- Kyrin Mayfield