Suns Near Playoff Spot, Shut Out Snappers

ORLANDO, Fla. - The DeLand Suns opened the final week of the FCSL regular season with a 5-0 victory over the Orlando Snappers on Wednesday night, recording their second shutout of the summer.

The Suns wasted no time building a lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Shane Thomas (Undecided) was hit by a pitch, Nic Partridge (Florida) singled, and Boomer Rogozinski (Stetson) reached on an error to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Thomas to score the game's first run, giving DeLand a 1-0 lead. Consecutive RBI singles from Akhil Nimmala (Undecided) and Josh Vinciguerra (Undecided) brought home Partridge and Rogozinski, extending the advantage to 3-0.

DeLand added another run in the second. Bryce Pasternack (Daytona State) led off the inning by being hit by a pitch before stealing second and advancing to third on an error. With the infield drawn in, Partridge hit a ground ball to first base, and Orlando recorded the out at first, allowing Pasternack to score and make it 4-0.

The Suns capped the scoring in the fifth. Partridge drew a one-out walk before Derek Lopez (Embry-Riddle) singled with two outs to put runners on the corners. Lopez then stole second, and as the Snappers attempted to throw him out, Partridge broke for home and stole it, stretching DeLand's lead to 5-0.

The Suns' pitching staff took care of the rest. Colby White (Embry-Riddle) tossed five scoreless innings, matching a season high with six strikeouts. Izzy Rivera (Eastern Florida State) followed with two scoreless innings, striking out two, before Christopher Marano (Stetson) retired the minimum over the final two innings in his Suns debut to complete the shutout.

With the win, DeLand improved to 15-15, while Orlando dropped to 13-16-2.

The Suns open a three-game series against the Sanford River Rats on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Sanford Memorial Stadium.

J.C. Fox (Mississippi Christian University)