Official Website of the 2009 FCSL Champions

Lightning Come Out Swinging in 10-6 Victory

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 9:48am

The Lightning wasted no time Monday night, establishing their offense immediately in the first inning.  The lineup for the Lightning however, was one that we have never seen before.  Coach Viola explained the strategy of the mixed up order.  “We just decided, with the way that things have been going, it doesn’t matter.  So we figured, let’s take it out of the hat and see what happens.”  And that’s exactly what happened; the Lightning lineup was drawn at random from a hat, and the lineup proved to be productive.  The Lightning scored four runs in the top of the first inning, and from that point forward, were in complete command.  The Lightning ended the evening with sixteen hits and ten runs to defeat the DeLand Suns 10-6.

Leading off for the Lightning Monday night was Matt Pierpont (Winthrop) who went 3-for-5 with two singles and a double.  Pierpont, Adam Cellini (Belmont), and Robert Beary (South Carolina) hit back-to-back-to-back singles to start the first inning, Pierpont scoring on Beary’s single to right-field.  After the next two Lightning were retired, Alex Hudak (Florida Atlantic) came to the plate to drive in Cellini on an infield single, and Nick DelGuidice (Florida Atlantic) followed up by putting across both Beary and Hudak when he drove a ball to the right-center gap for a standup double.

The Suns would fight back in the third inning, scoring two runs of their own on three singles and a walk.  Robert Lake (Winthrop) started for the Lightning on the mound and went six solid innings, giving up only two runs on six hits, setting DeLand down in order in three separate innings.  Further run support in the fourth inning by his offense would secure the W for Lake.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Lightning lit up the scoreboard, batting around the order, collecting five hits, two being doubles.  Pierpont led the inning off when he was hit by a pitch, and Cellini collected his second hit of the evening with a single to left field.  Beary then came to the plate and would also get pegged by a pitch, later having to come out of the game due to swelling.  Michael Gonzalez (East Tennessee State) who had a great night at the plate going 3-for-6 hit a soft liner down the left field line, scoring Pierpont and Cellini to pick up two RBI’s.  Gonzalez would be forced out at second on a Danny Baatz (UNC Asheville) 6-4 fielder’s choice.  With runners on the corners, Baatz stole second base, and on the throw down to second, Beary took off for home.  The second baseman cut the ball off and threw it back to home, but a wild throw would allow Beary to score and Baatz to reach third.  After a Hudak fly out, DelGuidice stepped up and delivered his second two out double of the evening, scoring Baatz to plate the fourth run of the inning.  Michael Albaladejo (Florida Atlantic) drove in DelGuidice on the very next pitch, singling to left field.  The Lightning ended the inning with five runs, extending the lead to 9-2.

Lightning reliever Jesse Holiday (Southern University) struggled in his appearance in the seventh inning, unable to record an out.  The Suns scored four runs on Holiday to cut the lead to three.  Nick Wilson (Lake Sumter CC) came in relief of Holiday to retire the side.  Scott Robinson (Lake Sumter CC) then took care of the Suns in the eighth, and the Lightning closer Dylan Ortega (Brevard CC) retired the Suns in order in the ninth.  The Lightning would tack on one more run in the top of the ninth inning to give the team a 10-6 victory, putting a save out of contention for the dominant Ortega.

Every Lightning player in the starting lineup recorded a hit, Pierpont and Gonzalez sporting three hits apiece, and Will Blankenship (West Virginia Wesleyan) collected his first hit of the season. 

Trey Garant (University of Michigan)