Dawgs get groove back

The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs cling to a narrow lead at the top of the Florida Collegiate Summer League ladder after snapping a three-game losing streak and going on a two-game run last weekend.

Now the Dawgs (15-6-1) will have to keep that streak alive to try to pull away from the second place Leesburg Lightning (16-8) nipping at their heels.

After losing two games due to some cold bats and then watching a slugfest turn into a heartbreaker 10-9 loss in the previous week, the Dawgs vanquished two demons at once over the weekend.

Saturday they watched the struggling Sanford River Rats build a tenuous 2-0 lead midway into the sixth inning as the Dawgs struggled to put a bat on the ball.

But that all turned around in a hurry in the bottom of the sixth when the Dawgs launched into a six-run rally to catch up and then blow the game open in a matter of minutes.

Ted Blackman went 2-5 in the game with two hits, while Alex Cruz hammered home two runners thanks to a double in the eighth. He would score two runs for the Dawgs, who spread the hitting around to grab the blowout 10-3 win.

The Dawgs watched the tables nearly turn on them against DeLand Sunday, as they slowly built a lead over the Suns but watched them come roaring back late in the game.

Over the course of nine innings, the Dawgs would use six pitchers trying to hold off the Suns before Chris Waltermire finally shut down a two-run rally in the top of the ninth to get the save in the 4-3 win.

Coming up after the all-star break, the Dawgs hit their home field at Alfond Stadium to host Winter Haven at 7 p.m. Thursday. Then they head to Leesburg for a doubleheader Friday night.