Box Score

LEESBURG, Fla. - The 2023 DeLand Suns ended their season with a bang on Saturday night with a 13-7 win over the Leesburg Lightning. An Orlando win went final during the contest to officially eliminate the Suns from the playoffs, but DeLand did everything in their control during the final weekend to try and continue their season. They completed a three-game sweep of a Lightning team that entered the series 21-9.

On just the second pitch of the game, Jeff Liquori (Florida Southern) smoked a ball out to right center field and over the wall for a home run. It was his fourth of the season, which leads the team. Corey Robinson (Central Florida) added on another run in the inning with a double to put the Suns up 2-0.

On the mound, DeLand got their third flawless start of the series with Sam Cole (Saint Leo). He surrendered only two baserunners over his four innings, taking just 52 pitches to do so. His fastball had lots of zip on it, pounding the pitch all over the strike zone to eviscerate the Leesburg lineup.

It was in the top of the fourth inning that DeLand blew the game open. Working against Bryan Boully (Florida Atlantic) who had only given up one run and two hits in 10 innings this year, the Suns exploded for six runs. Boully walked three and was tagged for five singles that put DeLand on top 8-0.

Alex Rich (Lenoir-Rhyne) worked a bases-loaded walk and Juan De La Cruz (Stetson) drove in a pair. For Rich, it was his fourth walk in 22 games.

Another Suns hit parade came in the sixth, where Ahmad Fitts (Florida Southern) scored on a wild pitch, before Jalen Hairston (State College of Florida) and Robinson each drove in a run on a single. A four-hit, three-run inning brought the game to 11-2.

The Suns had a chance to shorten the game with a run-rule, but couldn't finish the Lightning off with a quick inning in the seventh. After two of the first three men were retired, Suns pitching began a five-batter stretch where Leesburg reached either on a walk or a hit-by-pitch.

By the end of it, the Lightning had cut it to 13-7 and continued the game into the eighth. The two teams traded uneventful innings the rest of the way to finish a full nine. Hairston caught a popup in foul ground from third base to make the final out of the season.

As soon as Hairston saw the ball into the glove, the DeLand dugout erupted as they celebrated their final win of the summer. With a hot finish to the campaign, the Suns end with a 13-19 record. However, they are the only ones in the six-team league to miss the postseason.

The team stuck around at Pat Thomas Stadium for a while after the game to exchange best wishes and to take photos with their coaches and teammates. The complete team photo can be seen at the top of this article.

The magic of summer ball is complete, and as quickly as it begins it has now come to a close. A group of about 30 men meet as strangers, become good friends, and then go their separate ways to perhaps never see each other again. Pitching coach Mike Powers said it best, "They became a team. Through all the lightning delays and days at the ballpark, they're all now friends with each other. You can see it in the way they played the game."

Winning Pitcher: Will Smith (1-2)

Losing Pitcher: Riley Fitzgerald (4-1)

Time of Game: 3:13

William Haynes (Florida State)