River Rats cling to FCSL lead

The Sanford River Rats still clung to a narrow league lead to start the week, but the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs are nipping at their heels.

Hunter Melton and the Rats beat the Winter Garden Squeeze 8-4 on July 4 before rain marred an entire weekend of Florida Collegiate Summer League play. But that game was looking like anything but a blowout in the ninth inning, when the score swung from 4-2 to a tie game to a slaughter by Sanford all in the course of six outs. Melton was typically on the ball, going 3-for-5 for the game with an RBI double thrown in. He also struck out two in relief to snag the win in the final two innings of the game, giving up no hits.

Meanwhile the Dawgs dropped a game and a half out of the league’s top spot after falling 7-1 to the Leesburg Lightning, in a game blown open by a four-run seventh inning. Every one of the nine batters the Dawgs sent to the plate would get a hit on the night, but nine stranded runners ruined their shot at a win.

After the FCSL All-Star break at press time, the Rats will host the Dawgs at 7 p.m. July 10 at Sanford Memorial Stadium. At 7 p.m. Friday they’ll have a rematch, this time at Alfond Stadium in Winter Park. Visit floridaleague.com for more game schedules.