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DELAND, Fla. - The DeLand Suns fell 7-5 against the Leesburg Lightning, ending their 2021 season in the first round of the playoffs. 

Isaiah Brewington (NC A&T) took the ball for DeLand in the elimination game, and started out strong by tossing two scoreless innings to start. However, trouble came for Brewington in the third inning.

A hit-by-pitch and a single to start the inning put runners on the corners with nobody out for Chase Malloy (Jacksonville), who singled to drive in the first run of the game. A sacrifice bunt moved runners to second and third, then another hit batter loaded the bases.

Robbie Scott (UNF), who had five RBI’s in game one of the series, tacked on two more with a booming double to make it 3-0 Leesburg. Scott would later score in the inning on a passed ball.

DeLand was able to answer right away in the bottom of the third. Dom Scavone (Stetson) got plunked, Joey Aden (Ohio State) singled, and Ray Sass (Brown) walked to load the bases with one out.

Evan St. Claire (Siena) ripped a hard ground ball that got misplayed, allowing Scavone to score. Then Robert Chayka (Kentucky Wesleyan) worked a bases loaded walk to bring in Aden, cutting the Lightning lead to 4-2. 

The Suns cut further into Leesburg’s lead in the fourth, when Dom Scavone singled to bring in Sean McArdle (Daytona State) from second.

Leesburg added some insurance runs in the top of the fifth. Naphis Llanos (Francis Marion) and Chase Malloy both reached base, then Cam Hill (Georgia College and State) layed down a perfect bunt in an attempt to move the runners over. However, the throw to first sailed wide, allowing Llanos to score.

DeLand intentionally walked Robbie Scott to load the bases, but a wild pitch in the next at bat allowed another run across while the runners all moved up 90 feet. Brett Kelly drove a ball deep enough into right field to allow Hill to tag up from third, and Leesburg took a 7-3 lead into the sixth.

DeLand got two runners on to start the bottom of the sixth, and a wild pitch gave the Suns second and third with nobody out for Dom Scavone. The future Stetson Hatter delivered again, plating Sean McArdle on an RBI single.

Trailing 7-4 going into the eighth, DeLand had a chance to complete another late comeback against the Lightning. Diego Garcia (Pasco Hernando) roped a leadoff single, then Joe Burke (Kentucky Wesleyan) got hit by a pitch. 

Dom Scavone came through in the clutch again, adding his third RBI single of the game to bring in the pinch-runner Blaine Hogue (Embry-Riddle). Jordan Almodovar (Olivet Nazarene) came off the bench as a pinch hitter, and worked a walk to load the bases and prompt Leesburg to hand the ball to their closer, Zach Henderson (Valdosta State).

Henderson faced Ray Sass with the bases loaded and two outs, with the go-ahead run for DeLand on first base. Sass got the count to 2-1, then lined a ball into right but right at Jordan Griffin (Carson-Newman) to end the DeLand rally.

Henderson stayed on for the ninth, and worked a flawless inning to send Leesburg into the championship series with a 7-5 win.

The Lightning await the winner of the Winter Park-Sanford series, which concludes on Wednesday night in Sanford. First pitch is at 7pm.

Ben Carlton (Ithaca College)