Alone in Last Place: DeLand Loses 13th Game
SANFORD, Fla. - The DeLand Suns went to Sanford Memorial Stadium on Sunday night for a makeup game versus the River Rats. The Suns fell 5-3, seeing their struggles this season continue. They've lost 10 of their last 12 games, and with a season-worst 7-13 record they are now last place in the Florida League.
In 15 of their first 20 games, the Suns have allowed the opposition to score first. Sunday was no different, as Sanford plated two runs in the first to take an early lead. DeLand starter Logan Wirt (Hillsborough CC) walked four batters in the inning, taking 32 pitches to get through the frame.
Wirt would allow three more runs in the second. His fifth and final walk would come around to score, and a Rohsean Riley (Florida Southern) error opened the door for two more Rats runs. That would be it for Wirt in the game, with just 33 of 69 pitches for strikes. Three of his five runs were earned, and he took the loss in the game. After two innings, the Suns trailed 5-0.
For Sanford's starter Kevin Hebert (Limestone), it was a much different story. He worked around leadoff walks in the second and fourth innings without allowing any damage. In the fifth, DeLand would load the bases with nobody out yet Hebert still prevailed. He picked up a key strikeout of Kency Mocombe II (Rollins) before forcing the top two hitters of the lineup to pop-out. Five shutout innings would earn Hebert the win.
The River Rats nearly sent the game to a run-rule, when Anthony Griffith (Undecided) walked three straight batters in the sixth to bring up the dangerous Connor Hujsak (Mississippi State). Sanford's star slugger drilled a ball to deep left field, but Sanford Memorial Stadium held it to keep the game at 5-0.
That proved to be a turning point of sorts for DeLand, as the Suns would rally for three runs in the following inning. The third leadoff walk of the game would score, as would another run on a double in the gap for Aris Rivera (Polk State). Things have turned around for the Suns catcher at the plate, as all three of Rivera's RBI's this season have come in the last two games. The double was his first extra-base hit in 10 starts.
Mocombe drove in his first run of the season right after, cutting the deficit to 5-3. The Suns would get the tying runs on base in eighth with two on and two out, before the ultimate gaffe ended the inning. Jeff Liquori (Florida Southern) got caught napping with his lead off second base, and was tagged out to retire the side.
Rats reliever Jose Moreno (Point Park), who closed out the final four innings for Sanford, would sit down the bottom of DeLand's lineup in the ninth to end the game.
Despite walking nine batters and squandering multiple golden scoring opportunities, the Suns came up just three runs short of beating the first-place River Rats (14-6) for the third time this season.
DeLand will head back home to Conrad Park Monday at 4:30 p.m. for an afternoon affair with the Winter Garden Squeeze. The Suns have not met the Squeeze since the opening series of the year, where they lost both games by one run. The early start will accommodate the city of DeLand's firework display celebrating July 4, and can be seen from the field following Monday's game.
Winning Pitcher: Kevin Hebert (2-1)
Losing Pitcher: Logan Wirt (0-2)
Time of Game: 2:47
William Haynes (Florida State)
