Lightning win championship at Tropicana Field
Last Updated on Monday, August 03, 2009 23:25
By: Laura Kubitz
ST. PETERSBURG- The Leesburg Lightning toppled the defending Florida Collegiate Summer League champions, the Clermont Mavericks, 5-1, to capture their second championship at Tropicana Field on Monday.
The Lightning had an impressive run in the post-season giving up just two runs in three games. They continued the trend of two out runs collecting three in the decisive seventh inning.
Rick Kalgstein (Polk CC) started pitching five and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits, one run and striking out three. Spencer Hale got his first win of the season working one and one-third innings, allowing no hits or runs and striking out one. Nicolas Aranas (USC-Aiken) went two for three with two base hits and one run scored.
The action picked up in the fifth when the Lightning took the lead after four scoreless innings. Chris Berset (Michigan) reached on a walk after Evan Taylor (Lenoir Rhyne) popped out to center field. Aranas stepped up to deliver a single up the middle to advanced Berset to third. Mike Albaladejo (FAU) had an RBI-ground out to score Berset.
But the Mavericks also picked up momentum in the sixth. Tyrone Wethers (New Orleans) advanced to first on a walk and stole second. Chase Okey (Lake Sumter CC) delivered a single to center field to score Wethers, tying the score, 1-1. Tyler Benzel (Louisiana Lafeyette) advanced on a walk, putting Okey on second and Ryan Semeniuk (Wake Forest) singled to load up the bases. Spencer Hale (Furman) relieved Rick Kalgstein and got the Lightning out of the jam when Evan Stermer (Palm Beach CC) popped out to second base.
For the second time, the Lightning took the lead in seventh. Taylor reached on a lead off walk and advanced to second on a Berset sacrifice ground out. Aranas singled and stole second. Taylor scored on an Albaladejo sacrifice fly to center field. Danny Baatz (UNC-Asheville) continued the action with a single to right-center scoring Aranas. Nick DelGuidice (FAU) then doubled, resulting in a two-run throwing error, advancing DelGuidice and Baatz home and putting the Lightning ahead, 5-1.
Jonathan Bolt(USC-Aiken), in the final game of his baseball career, relieved Robert Lake (Winthrop) in the ninth to pitch the final out of the game striking out Evan Stermer.
The Lightning started the season with a three game losing streak, but ended the season with three consecutive wins when they needed them most.