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Hathcock Punishes Sanford 7-3

Monday, June 27, 2011 1:21am

After losing four of their last five games, the Leesburg Lightning entered Sunday’s game hungry for a win. The team, well rested after two days off due to rainouts, came out strong offensively and flat out outpitched the Sanford River Rats, winning 7-3.

The River Rats beat the Lightning on Tuesday and the team was eager for redemption and it showed early. Chris Coburn led off the game with a hard-hit single to left field. As he rounded first, he saw the outfielder hesitate getting to the ball and took off for second. The outfielder, scurrying to catch up, overthrew the second baseman covering and Coburn reached third.

“I want to be known for plays like that,” said Coburn. “You know I saw him just getting to the ball as I rounded first and I knew I had (second).”

The Lightning would load the bases in the first with no outs, but came close to stranding all three runners before Mike Miller, playing left field for the first time this season, singled through the left side to score Coburn and fan favorite Mike Albaladejo.

Lightning starter Dylan Hathcock was dominant on the mound. The big lefty, sporting a brand new shaved head, sat down Sanford in order the first three innings before allowing their first hit in the fourth. He would pitch seven demoralizing innings, striking out six and only allowing one unearned run to cross the plate. Hathcock worked devastating off-speed pitches that the Sanford hitters didn’t even come close to touching. On one of the strikeouts, he threw the same pitch three times to a Sanford lefty that looked like it might hit him, then broke in and over the plate and got him to swing over the top for strike three.

“I went in trying to locate my fastball and worked the off speed stuff in there,” said Hathcock.

“Sometimes you get a win and the pitchers performance doesn’t get justified,” said skipper Dave Therneau. “(Hathcock) deserved the win tonight.”

In his final inning of work, Hathcock found himself in a tight spot with runners on the corners and only one out. A deep fly ball was hit out to centerfield where Chris Coburn was making his first start. Earlier in the game, Coburn had a ball get by him in centerfield, but he was determined to give this play a different ending. Coburn caught the fly ball and threw a strike to home where Albaladejo made a great catch and then dove to tag the runner to end the inning and end the Sanford threat. Everyone in attendance gave Coburn a well-deserved standing ovation.

Making his Lightning debut on the mound in relief was hard-throwing lefty Kurtis Gens who was called up from the Thunder earlier this week. Gens originally started out with the DeLand Suns of the Florida Collegiate Summer League this season. Gens would be the victim of some poor defense, but overall was impressive in his first appearance.

“Both Hathcock and Gens were outstanding I thought,” said Therneau.

The 11-5 Lightning have a day off Monday and then head to Winter Haven Tuesday to play the Loggerheads. They have a day off on Wednesday, when the Continental Country Club is hosting the Lightning golf tournament and Leesburg returns home Thursday night.

By: Nick Beardi (Medaille College)