Official Website of the 2009 FCSL Champions

Lightning keeps the Dawgs down

Thursday, July 2, 2009 2:58am

by: Laura Kubitz

WINTER PARK, Fla.-It was a pitchers' duel on Wednesday until a late-inning rally by the Leesburg Lightning brought down the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs 3-1.

Lindsey Caughel (Stetson) worked six innings, allowed one earned run, and struck out five. Robert Lake (Winthrop) relieved Caughel in the seventh to make his second outing of the season. Lake got the win pitching three innings, striking out four, and allowing no runs.

"Good pitching usually helps clean up that defense, because when you are throwing strikes, the infield is usually ready to make those plays for you," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "That is why we were successful tonight."

Michael Dufek (Michigan) went 2 for 4 with a home run and a base hit.

That home run was just out of reach for right fielder Kevin Mierzwinski (Stetson) and tied up the game in the fifth 1-1.

The Winter Park Diamond Dawgs put up the first run of the game in the third when Carlos Labrador (Lake Sumter) scored on Robert Crews' (Stetson) base hit.

In the sixth, with runners on second and third, the Lightning threatened to take the lead. Anthony Figliolia (UCF) made a diving catch in center field to save the inning and keep the score tied.

For the Diamond Dawgs, Corey Bevis (Embry Riddle) worked 8 1/3 innings and struck out three.

"He [Bevis] was around the strike zone," said Viola. "I remember him from high school; he used to bring it 90 plus miles and hour. Then he hurt his arm and has come back, and he is a pitcher now. He doesn't throw it hard but he spots the balls real well and mixes up the pitches. He was very effective tonight."

In the ninth, Ryan Fern (USC Upstate) relieved Bevis, and an error on the second baseman Crews brought Trace Venegas (Santa Fe CC) home to put the Lightning up, 2-1.

"The thing that helped us out tonight was Winter Park's defense fell apart in the ninth and gave us a chance to score a couple of runs," said Viola. "It was just a total overall good game. Usually you win ball games when the one team makes three errors and you don't make any."

The Lightning continued the late-inning rally when Dufek hit on a fielder's choice and got to second on an error. He advanced to home when Nick Aranas (USC-Aiken) was picked off going to second.

The Diamond Dawgs attempted a rally with a base hit and a walk to put the tying runner on base, but the Lightning silenced the Dawgs with two strikeouts and a fly ball to left field.

The Leesburg Lightning will take on the Clermont Mavericks on Thursday at 7 p.m. at East Ridge High School.