Suns drop the first game of a three game set vs Winter Park
Winter Park, Fla. - In their first game since Friday night, the DeLand Suns fell (9-7) to the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (9-11) 8-6.
There was plenty of offense for both sides as the Suns finished with six runs on 11 hits, and the Diamond Dawgs finished with eight runs on eight hits. The Suns got on the board early thanks to Gavin Thomas's (Davidson College) first home run of the season, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. However, the Diamond Dawgs would respond in the bottom half of the inning with a home run as Isaac Nunez (Southeastern University) sent one over the left field wall for a three-run blast, making it 3-2 Winter Park.
In the 3rd inning, the Diamond Dawgs would add to their lead as Sam Downey (Stetson University) scored from third off an error by Paul Napolitano at second base with two outs. In the 5th, the Suns finally broke through thanks to an RBI single by Andrew Ezell (Stetson University) and a two-RBI double off the bat of Gavin Thomas, allowing the Suns to retake the lead 5-4.
The Diamond Dawgs would tie the game up in the bottom of the 5th off an RBI groundout from Maverick Stallings (Old Dominion University). Heading into the later stages of the 8th inning, the Diamond Dawgs would plate three runs, thanks to an RBI triple from Maverick Stallings and a double from Amai Rivera Martinez (St. Leo) that drove in two more. The eventual deciding inning helped Winter Park to continue their hot streak of winning eight of their last eleven games.
"Looking back on the game, there were a couple of plays that didn't go our way, and we need to do a better job of taking care of them. We didn't play how we needed to win games today, and we'll look to come back tomorrow and get a win," head coach Cameron Jergens told me postgame. Having not played since last Friday, the team will be looking to return to the win column for the first time since June 18th.
Up next: The Suns will travel to Alfond Stadium on Friday, June 28th, to face the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs in the second game of a three-game series. The first pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
Dylan Stanley (Dordt University)
