Rats, Dawgs rebound

After briefly leading the league in a rain-soaked first week of the season, the College Park Freedom have plummeted to the bottom of the Florida Collegiate Summer League standings. And the Sanford River Rats and Winter Park Diamond Dawgs have fought their way back.

After an up and down start, the Leesburg Lightning have rocketed to the top of the league with a 7-3 record as of Wednesday at press time.

Meanwhile the Sanford River Rats (5-5), who at one point were at the bottom of the league, are in third place and climbing fast with three straight wins. The seemingly easy win over Leesburg on June 18 actually took six innings before it was looking like anything but a loss for the Rats. But sparked by a wild sixth inning comeback that included doubles by Darian Ramage and Christian Dicks plus two scores on two wild pitches, the Rats came back, eventually winning it.

The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (4-5), who also bottomed out early, have slowly climbed back up in the standings. A stalled comeback against Sanford on June 16 felled the Dawgs 3-2. Much of the frustration in that game fell on starter John Sever, who threw a six-inning, seven-strikeout, two-hit gem and watched as the Dawgs’ middle relief threw it away.

After a pair of games at press time, the Rats will host DeLand at 7 p.m. on June 21 at Sanford Memorial Stadium. Winter Park hosts College Park the same night at 7 p.m. at Alfond Stadium.