Dawgs catching Rats

With only a few weeks left in the season, the race is tight at the top of the league

By Isaac Babcock
| 8:00 p.m. July 14, 2010

Photo by: Isaac Babcock - Big bats propelled the Dawgs early in the season, but they haven't been able to keep up against teams that have punished Winter Park pitching, such as Sanford's 17-5 win.

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Sports

Only half a game separates the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs and Sanford River Rats after a wild weekend on the baseball diamond.

The Dawgs made the race a bit closer Sunday by trouncing the league-leading Rats 10-4, just a day after being beaten by the league doormat Orlando Mavericks 6-1.

The Dawgs beat their top-ranked rivals by launching into five straight innings of rallies to start the game, with two 3-run innings to give the Dawgs their go-ahead runs by midway through the second.

Newcomer Spencer Theisen started things off for the Dawgs, singling to lead off the game then stealing second, and advancing to third and home on errors and passed balls. In four games and 14 at bats, Theisen has hammered a home run, two doubles, driven in five runs and batted .571 in the process.

Sanford pitcher and New York Mets draftee Trey Pilkington took a beating from the Dawgs, dropping his record to 2-2 with 11 strikeouts in five appearances.

Meanwhile, Dawgs starter Chad Allen went 6 innings, picking up his third win.

The league lead battle is as tight as it's been all season, and with the Rats and Dawgs meeting again this Friday, it could be anybody's game. With a win, Winter Park could start next week on top of the league again.

This week's All-Star game will have the two teams out of action at press time, but they'll return to Sanford Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday to find out who's going to take the lead in the Florida Collegiate Summer League.