Looking for a comeback

The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs took a beating over the weekend, falling 2 1/2 games behind the Leesburg Lightning in the FCSL standings.

Closing in on the final week of the regular season, the Dawgs have precious little time to catch back up to the Lightning to take the championship.

Meanwhile the Sanford River Rats continue to struggle to stay above the league doormat Winter Haven Loggerheads. But that’s been a tough fight, as the Rats have managed to narrowly split their last two games, losing 5-1 on July 21, then coming back 5-4 to win on July 24.

For the Dawgs, two straight losses heading into the start of the week tie them for the worst losing streak they’ve had all year. The big blow came against Leesburg July 25, when they fell 6-4 in a game that would have put them just 1/2 game out of first place.

And for a brief moment, they held that win in their hand after a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth in front of their home crowd lifted them up 4-3 over the Lightning.

That soon turned into a nightmare for the would-be victors, who watched a brief Lightning rally in the top of the seventh tie up the game. The Dawgs were then held hitless for three straight innings while the Lightning slowly built a comeback.

The game would end 6-4 with the Lightning on top, pulling away at the top of the league. Reed Reznicek was the unlucky man on the mound for the game, giving up two earned runs that turned the tide in the game and being pulled after retiring just one batter.

Ted Blackman had a big hit, hammering his third homerun of the season in the third inning.

For the Dawgs, another rematch against the Lightning at press time Tuesday could turn the tide of the season. They’ll go on a four-game road trip this week, at Winter Haven Thursday, then in Leesburg again Friday, Sanford Saturday and Winter Haven again Sunday. At 7 p.m. Friday, the Rats will play Orlando at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

Then next week, it’s postseason time in the FCSL.