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Durham Blast Helps Lightning Edge Loggerheads

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 3:04am

 “Lightning Bolt The Loggerheads 10-8”

With actual lightning popping all over the outfield, the Leesburg Lightning were busy on the field dismantling the Winter Haven Loggerheads 10-8 in front of the home crowd at Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field.

It was a tight battle all night and despite scoring at least one run in six of the eight innings the Lightning came up to bat, the Loggerheads continued to chip away at the Lightning lead. Starter Nic Kovacs pitched five strong innings only allowing three runs during his tenure. He picked up the win, his first on the season, and a well-deserved victory after striking out five and overwhelming the Winter Haven batters with a tremendous amount of pitches in the strike zone.

Dan Dixon and David Lucroy came on in relief and closer Max Rusch picked up another save on the season after closing the door on the Loggerheads for the final five outs of the game.

The victory came after another sloppy defensive performance from the Lightning, who committed five errors on the game. “I’m not too worried about it,” said Coach Therneau. “It has to be cleaned up obviously, but I know and they know the level they play at and know that they’ll get it done.”

Despite being outhit by the Loggerheads, the Lightning hit the ball all over the park and scattered 10 runs on 11 hits. The hitting started in the first inning when newcomer Zane Evans, playing catcher in his first game of the season, drilled a double and then scored along with Jacob Tillotson after a Hunter Mayfield triple to the right center gap. “I was mainly looking for fastballs my first time out,” said Evans, who finished the game 2-3. “I got a few balls up in the zone and went after them.”

The Lightning scored three more in the third inning thanks in part to a two run double off the bat of Christian Coburn. The Loggerheads were determined though and hung a three spot in the sixth inning to pull within two of the Lightning. The fireworks came out though in the bottom of the sixth when Chase Durham, playing right field for the game, hit an absolute bomb to left centerfield. The ball was heading straight at the pole that’s marked 365, but Evans cleared it by another 15 feet. “I hadn’t been swinging too good before then so I just tried to simplify my swing and it worked,” said Durham, whos blast was the first homer at home for a Lightning player. When asked if he knew it was out, Durham coyly smiled and said he still ran it out though so as not to show up the pitcher.

Winter Haven scored another two runs in the eighth, but couldn’t overcome the two run deficit as Leesburg held on for the win to continue their early hot streak.

The Lightning play Winter Park tomorrow night at home at 7:00.

By: Nick Beardi (Medaille College)