Official Website of the 2009 FCSL Champions

Lightning Sweep River Rats to Take First

Sunday, July 17, 2011 9:12pm

 

The Leesburg Lightning are on fire since the All-Star break. They’ve found a new energy since having three days off earlier this week and the vitality has shown through their play. Of the five games they’ve played since the break, they’ve won four shutting out Orlando, splitting a doubleheader with Winter Park and sweeping the Sanford River Rats in a home and home series.

The latest of those wins was Sunday afternoon at Sanford Memorial Stadium, 8-6. The River Rats chipped away at the Lightning lead all game, but in the end, the deficit was too much to overcome and the Lightning got the victory.

The offense came early and often between the two teams Sunday night.

The League leader in hits Jacob Tillotson, added three more to his season resume and singled home Christian Coburn after he hit a leadoff double to start the game.

The River Rats came right back though and scored two runs in the bottom half of the first to take a 2-1 lead.

But the Leesburg bats would take over in the third inning. A costly error would put speedy Troy Drummond on base and the Lightning quickly loaded the bases courtesy of walks and hits off the bats of Coburn, Tillotson and Chase Durham. Tillotson’s single through the right side drove in another two runs giving him three for the game. Durham’s RBI made it a 5-2 game.

Sanford starter Bennie Sanchez ran into some hard luck as three of the six runs he allowed were unearned. In the fourth inning, the Lightning once again loaded the bases but ran into some hard luck of their own and could only add one more run to their lead.

The game had some drama in the fifth inning when both sides were warned after a late timeout call at plate almost cost Tom Sicking his head. The pitcher, unable to stop his throwing motion threw a fastball that ran just behind Sicking’s helmet. Pitcher and batter exchanged words and the umpires issued warnings.

Coach Dave Therneau was still absent after Friday’s ejections and the umpires made sure a repeat incident wasn’t in store on Sunday.

The Lightning added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings which helped preserve the lead as the River Rats added three runs of their own in the fifth and seventh. They threatened in the ninth as well when All-Star Game MVP Alex Mendez ripped a double and later scored. But two outs later and the Lightning emerged with their 20^th win of the season.

Starter Patrick Hicks, starting for the first time all season, lasted six innings and kept his team in the ball game for the duration of his time on the mound. Zane Evans and Mike Clutterbuck closed out the game

The Lightning head into the final two weeks with a slim one game lead over Winter Park for first place in the Florida League. Leesburg takes on Orlando at Pat Thomas Stadium Tuesday night at 7:00.

By: Nick Beardi (Medaille College)