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Lightning take down the Sluggers with just one run

Thursday, June 25, 2009 4:31am

by: Laura Kubitz

One run was all it took for a victory on Wednesday.

The Leesburg Lightning brought down The Villages' Sluggers, 1-0, just one day after the Sluggers broke the DeLand Suns' 13-game winning streak.

Kyle Wahl (Southern) got the win working six innings, striking out seven and allowing no hits until the sixth. Jon Bolt (USC-Aiken) relieved Wahl to pitch two innings and striking out two. Mike Dufek (Michigan) closed the game striking out two.

"From a pitcher's standpoint that was a beautiful ball game," said Lightning manager Frank Viola. "Kyle Wahl threw the heck out of the ball tonight. He had the one bad pitch were he hit the guy (Ian MacGeorge) in the helmet and then he walked the next guy after that cause he was a little bit served but he got it together again. He pitched great. Jon Bolt did his job and Dufek finished it up. You couldn't ask for a better overall performance."

In the third inning, the Lightning picked up the lead. Danny Baatz (UNC-Asheville) hammered a double to right field. Hudak scored Baatz with a single. It looked like the Lightning had started a rally after base-hits by Trae Gore (Florida Southern) and Nick DelGuidice (Florida Atlantic), but the Sluggers got out of a bases loaded jam with a double play to end the inning before any more damage was done.

New additions to the Lightning's roster will strengthen the Lightning's bullpen. Saturday's starting pitcher Eric Katzman (Michigan) and righty Robert Lake (Winthrop) are predicted to be valuable assists to the Lightning.

"When the new players come in we are going to give them rolls," said Viola. "The big thing I want to do is make sure everybody's arms are fresh. That is the whole idea of summer ball. The more pitchers I get the more I can space them out in their appearances and the more they will be ready to go when they are called on."

After taking Thursday off, the Lightning will host the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs on Friday and the DeLand Suns on Saturday. Both games will be at 7 p.m.