By: Josh Stevens 

There are a lot of variables and changes in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League. A team can score 14 one day while laying a goose egg the next day. Teams can rattle off five wins and then immediately suffer through five losses. 

However, there has been one constant throughout the summer. Rain. Rain is the reason why the Buccaneers have played eight more games than the Lions have. It is seemingly every day that at least one game will be impacted by the volatile weather that is known to Floridians.

Saturday was no different. The stage was set for one of the most intense moments of the 2023 regular season. In the bottom half of extra innings, the bases were loaded in a 2-2 ballgame with two outs. This was the moment that every kid had dreamed of in their backyard. 

However, instead of a huge strikeout or walk-off grand slam, Mother Nature intervened, and the lightning alarm sounded. The torrential downpours came soon after, and play was suspended for the day at Sable Pines Park without a winner. 

While the rain-marred the ending, the game itself was everything you could ask for. Starting pitchers Adrian Quinonez (American International) and Deonte Dotson (Southern) navigated through control issues to throw three and four innings respectively, while only allowing one run a piece.

While only five hits were recorded in the game, both teams made their hits count. 

Outfielder Connor Massimini (Eastern Texas Baptist) recorded both hits for the Diamond Ducks in the initial seven frames ( Saturday was a scheduled doubleheader). The second of these hits was an RBI double to chase in Rolando Lujo for the Ducks’ lone run of the initial seven.

The Pokers also only scraped one run across in regulation, as Catcher Jeff Cardazone (Montreat College) lined a single into center to score a run in the third inning. Cardazone had a great all-around day, as he also cut down two steal attempts. 

While the pitching was great all day, the best performance came from Zach Redner (Hillsborough). Redner went 4 scoreless innings while striking out 8. 

“I came in wanting to work both sides of the zone, and I was able to do that with both my fastball and my offspeed today” quoted Redner.  “Both pitches were working today to get the strikeouts.”

The bats weren’t hot today; the Ducks turned to small ball to scratch a run across in extra innings, as shortstop Rolando Lujo picked up an RBI on a bunt for a base hit.

“It was a big situation, so I knew I had to get it down,” Lujo said. “I was able to get it down in a good spot and beat out the throw to first.”

No hits were required for the Pokers to push a run across in the bottom of the eighth. After runners were put on second and first, a walk and hit by pitch pushed a run across before the delay. 

While there isn’t a final score yet, Saturday's razor-close game proved that the South Divison is still up for grabs in the SFCBL.