Box Score Game 1>

Box Score Game 2>

LEESBURG- The Leesburg Lightning had complete control over the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs on Monday, finishing off a double header with a win, 3-0.

In the second, Nick Aranas (USC Aiken) doubled and scored on Evan Taylor's (Lenoir Rhyne) base hit.  Chris Berset (Michigan) singled to bring Taylor home and to leave the Lightning up by two.

In the sixth, Trace Venegas (Santa Fe College) smacked the ball over the fence to tack on an insurance run for the Lightning.

But in game one, the Diamond Dawgs weren't quiet at all.

"We didn't have a lead the whole game," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "Every time Winter Park got the lead we would tie it up.  It was like a game of cat and mouse."

The Lightning battled to come out on top, 9-8.

The Diamond Dawgs picked up two runs in the first when Anthony Figliolia (UCF) scored on a base hit by Mitchel Brennan (Mercer) and Brad Hutton (Polk CC) came home on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Moyer (Palm Beach Atlantic).

The Lightning tied up the game in the third.  Alex Hudak (Stetson) got around the diamond by way of a walk, stolen base, wild pitch and made it home on another stolen base.  Mike Albaladejo (Florida Atlantic) plated on a double by Trace Venegas.

In the fourth, the Diamond Dawgs took the lead for the second time of the game.  Kevin Mierzwinski (Stetson) reached home on a base hit by Nick Adams (Mercer) and Adams scored on Taylor Oldham's (Covenant) single.

The Lightning tied up the game again in the fourth when Taylor scored on Danny Baatz's (UNC Asheville) triple and Baatz advanced to home on Albaladejo's single.

In the fifth, the Diamond Dawgs reclaimed the lead when Brett Richardson (Murray State) singled to score Brennen.

Michael Dufek (Michigan) and Venegas hit back-to-back doubles to tie the score for the third time.

Mike Groeneveld (UCF) made his first appearance for the Lightning tonight.  He pitched one and two-third innings, gave up four runs and allowed five hits.

"He struggled a little bit, but the guy that came through for us was Chris Welborn," Viola said.  "He came in and gave me one good inning and then [John Michael] Blake came in, got the last out and made it possible for us to win."

Once again in the sixth, the Diamond Dawgs made their way to the top.  Hutton scored on a double by Brennan and then Brennan plated on Moyer's sacrifice fly.  A homerun by Scott Chase (Rollins) finished off the action, putting the Dawgs ahead, 8-5.

Again, the Lightning responded to the Diamond Dawg rally.

Hudak made it home on DelGuidice's double and the Lightning's slugger Trae Gore (Florida Southern) hit his second homerun of the season to bring home DelGuidice and tie up the game, 8-8.

But the Lightning came out on top in the end.

In the bottom of the seventh, Hudak got a base hit to bring home Taylor to get the run that ended the inning and brought the Lightning team on the field in celebration with only one out and two runners still left on base.

"We finally got out of it in the seventh inning and came back and scored the run," said Viola.  "We battled and they (Winter Park) swung the bat really well."

The Leesburg Lightning will travel to DeLand today and play in the Florida Collegiate Summer League's first televised game, to be broadcast on Bright House Networks.

By: Laura Kubitz

LEESBURG- Fireworks lit up the night after a Leesburg Lightning victory over the DeLand Suns, 4-2, on Saturday.

Fans who came late had a hard time finding seats because the stands were packed in anticipation of the match up against Florida Collegiate Summer League leader and the Lightning.

"Any player who prides himself on the game wants to play in front of a lot of people," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "This city has been great, but when you come out tonight to see all those people, it gives you an extra adrenaline rush. I think they wanted put on a good show, and I think for the most part they did."

After the game, fans were invited to bring their lawn chairs onto the field to enjoy a fireworks display celebrating the Fourth of July.

For 30 minutes, fireworks of all colors went off into the sky, with the glow of the moon nestled in the background.

The Suns got the lead in the first with a single by Jonathan Griffin (Manatee CC) to score Taylor Wrenn (South Carolina).

Coming off the energy of shutting down the Suns in the second with a double play, the Lightning picked up a run when Danny Baatz (UNC Asheville) singled to advance Michael Dufek (Michigan) home.

The Lightning kept the Suns from shining again in the third with a double play and they came back in the bottom of the third to put up two more runs on the scoreboard when Trace Venegas (Santa Fe) smacked a double RBI- single.

"It's a different guy every game," Viola said. "Venegas is hitting it. I haven't mentioned his name in a few days, but he has been our most consistent hitter except for Trae Gore."

In the fifth, the Suns showed they were still alive when Peter O'Brien (Bethune-Cookman) hammered a homerun over to left field, leaving the score, 3-2.

But the Lightning retaliated.

Alex Hudak (Stetson) smacked a homerun to left field to tack on an insurance run in the sixth.

"With the pitching, the defense and the timely hitting, we are starting to put everything together," Viola said.

Alan Oaks (Michigan) got the win pitching five innings, striking out two and allowing two runs.

"Alan battled his butt off for five innings," said Viola. "He didn't have great stuff, but he got the job done."

Box Score>

By: Laura Kubitz

LEESBURG -The Leesburg Lightning (10-10) battled to victory against the Sanford River Rats (14-10) on Friday, 5-3.

Catcher Chris Berset (Michigan), who until now was zero for 13, went four for four with two RBI base hits.

"Staying the course and the extra work with Tony has been great so far," Berset said when asked what turned it around for him.  "You just gotta stay the course and it will come around."

Berset also picked off three runners and tagged out Chris Smelley (Alabama) at home plate to prevent the River Rats from picking up a tieing run in the eighth.

"I feel great," Berset said. "That is what they brought me here for."

The River Rats picked up an early lead in the third. Rick Kalgstein (Polk CC) was ahead in the count, 0-2, until Joesph Cuda (Eckerd) hit a line drive that struck Kalgstein. He appeared to shake it off, but after a solid two innings pitched, he allowed three runs.

The Lightning responded in the fourth, putting up two to runs to even the gap. Nick DelGuidice (Florida Atlantic) singled and scored on Trace Venegas' (Santa Fe CC) double. Nick Aranas (USC Aiken) grounded out to bring home Venegas, leaving the score, 3-2.

Even though the ball hammered to center field by Alan Oaks (Michigan) was just short of a home run, the damage was still done. Aranas advanced to home on the double by Oaks to even the score, 3-3.

But the Lightning weren't through yet.

Berset brought home Oaks on a base hit to put the Lightning in the lead, 4-3.

The time for the River Rats to make their comeback in the eighth, but they Lightning kept the Rats down. Berset tagged out Smelley at home and the Lightning got out of a bases loaded jam with an out at first.

The Lightning tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with a base hit by Berset to plate Aranas.

"We made the pitches when we needed to and they didn't make the hits when they needed too," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "That's been us the last few tight games, so it's a bit of a role reversal."

The Leesburg Lightning will host the DeLand Suns today, take Sunday off and take on a double-header on Monday against the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs.
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Box score>

By: Laura Kubitz

The Clermont Mavericks rallied in the eighth inning to beat the Leesburg Lightning, 10-2, on Thursday.

Despite receiving the loss, Kyle Wahl (Southern) struck out 11, working six innings and allowing two runs.

"First couple of innings he couldn't get his fast ball over to save his life," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "But he had a great breaking ball and a good change up, he made the pitches he needed too.  He did a great job."

The Mavericks' Chase Okey (Lake Sumter) and the Lightning's Trace Venegas (Santa Fe CC) went three for four with two base hits and a double.

The Mavericks scored early in the first when Tyler Benzel (Louisiana Lafayette) smashed a double to left field scoring Okey.  With the bases loaded it looked like the Mavericks were set for an early rally, but Wahl responded to the pressure striking out Tim Dye.

In the second, the Lightning tied up the game.  Venegas stole second after an attempt by Trey Dahl (South Florida) to pick him off at first.  With a single by Alan Oaks (Michigan), Venegas advanced to home to put the Lightning on the board.

But it would be the last time the Lightning would score for a long time.

"Our hitters didn't do the job when we were in the scoring position," Viola said.  "Six or seven guys had the chance to drive in runs.  That bothers me more than anything."

In the third, Joey Burkhalter (Florida Atlantic) hammered the ball to center field to get his first home run of the season, to put the Mavericks up by one.

Burkhalter came alive again in the seventh with a double to lead a Maverick rally.  He advanced to third on a wild pitch and Brett Hendricks (Bradley) got to first on a hit by pitch and stole second.  Okey stepped up to the plate to deliver a double to bring Burkhalter and Hendricks home, leaving the score, 4-1.

"Brett [Blaise] came in and did a nice job, he just couldn't put them away, but he is really close to being good," Viola said.  "I really needed him to get some work in.  He didn't pitch effectively, but he went after them."

The Mavericks didn't stop in the eighth inning.

Getting on base any way possible, with four base hits, two walks, a hit by pitch and a fielder's choice, the Mavericks put up six insurance runs to secure the lead, 10-1.

The Lightning didn't go out without a fight.  Nick Aranas (USC Aiken) scored on an error in the ninth, but Dye made an impressive diving catch in center field to get the third out to finalize a Maverick victory.

"When push comes to shove, as the season goes on, I am going to be picking my pitchers a little a better and I am going to be putting people in the right spots," Viola said.

The Leesburg Lightning will host the Sanford River Rats on Friday at 7 p.m. and the DeLand Suns on Saturday at 6 p.m.