Lightning Fall at Winter Garden, 11-10

CLERMONT, Fla. - The Leesburg Lightning (1-1) lost a high-scoring battle with the Winter Garden Squeeze (1-1) in their first road trip of the year. Cage Cox (Undecided) went 2-5 with a home run and 6 RBI in the loss for the Lightning.

“Our pitchers were not as sharp today, we fell behind a lot of hitters,” head coach Rich Billings said postgame. “We had some letup on the offensive end. We still had some good at-bats and we barreled up some balls. They (Winter Garden) made plays when they needed to make plays. We didn’t make some plays. They were tough plays, but you have to make them to win.” Coach Billings said there are still many positive things to look at for the Lightning. “There are still a lot of positives,” said Billings. “We’ve scored 19 runs in our first two games. That is a big positive we can build on this week.”

In the first inning, the Lightning came out of the gates swinging and delivered the first punch. After Edward Surinach (Embry-Riddle) hit into a fielder’s choice that brought home a run, Tate Mathis (North Alabama) walked to set the stage for Cox. Cox turned on a ball up in the zone and launched it over the left-center field fence to give the Lightning an early 4-0 lead.

After a Squeeze grand slam tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the first, the Lightning had to go back to work in a brand new ballgame. Mike Rocco (Ohio Northern) got things started with a single to leadoff the top of the second. Following Rocco’s base-hit, Parker Pillsbury (Chipola) hammered a two-run shot over the right field fence to retake the lead for Leesburg, 6-4. The Lightning would later add another run in the second, on a fielder’s choice RBI from Cox, and lead 7-4 after two innings of action.

In the bottom of the 3rd, the Squeeze would manufacture run via a sacrifice fly to cut the Lightning lead to 7-5.

In the fifth, the Squeeze would capitalize on some timely hits and miscues from the Lightning, to put four runs on the board. After five innings, the Squeeze held a 9-7 lead.

The Squeeze would tack on two more runs in the 6th to extend its lead to 11-7 after six innings.

In the top of the 7th, the Lightning would make some noise. Mathis would get things started with a leadoff walk to give the Lightning some speed on the basepaths. Mathis would eventually swipe second base. With two outs and Mathis on second, Hermes Abreu (Concordia) singled home Mathis to cut into the Squeeze lead, at 11-8.

In the top of the 8th, the Lightning would get runners on first and second with nobody out with Surinach at the plate. Surinach ripped a liner down the first-base line, but the Squeeze first-baseman stabbed it and doubled up the runner on first.

Later in the inning, the Lightning would put runners on second and third with two outs. Cox would step in and line a ball over the second baseman to score Rocco and Mathis to cut the Squeeze lead to just 11-10.

The Lightning would get the tying run on second, but a strikeout would end the Leesburg threat. The Squeeze would take the game, 11-10.

Return to News