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Suns Steal One From Lightning

Thursday, July 7, 2011 1:52am

The Lightning were fresh off a big win Tuesday night against Winter Park to reclaim their stake at the top of the standings and but couldn’t continue that success as DeLand took one from Leesburg 5-0.

                The game belonged to the pitchers the first seven innings of the game as each would do their part in putting zeroes on the scoreboard.

Leesburg starter Dylan Ortega has been great all season and was excellent against DeLand Wednesday night. Ortega went deeper into a game than any starter for the Lightning so far this season and used a mixture of speed and breaking balls to keep the Suns bats on their shoulders and DeLand runs off of the scoreboard. He pitched into the eighth inning and kept his pitch count down. It looked as though he might be able to go the distance but the Suns fouled off a bunch of pitches and a two out, full count single brought in a run and Ortega was pulled for reliever Mike Clutterbuck. Ortega went 7.2 innings striking out a season high nine batters and didn’t allow a walk.

                The Suns got a pair of hits off of Clutterbuck that scored two more runs for DeLand and the runs would go on Ortega’s record.

                The story of the game was the lack of run support from the Lightning hitters. They had seven hits in the game but stranded any chance at a run as the game went on. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Zane Evans, who hit the ball all over the park on Tuesday, grounded into a double play that ended the inning. The same thing happened in the eighth inning when Mike Miller came up with bases full of Lightning. He ripped the first ball he saw up the middle and the Suns made a highlight reel double play when JT Warmoth made a backhand stab then flipped it to shortstop Aaron Silbar who barehanded the ball, did a 360 turn and gunned out Miller all in one motion. The play had the Suns fired up and sent the Lightning fans packing.

                They scored another two runs in the ninth inning and the five run deficit was too much to overcome. The Lightning remain at the top of the standings and head to Sanford Thursday night before battling Winter Park in a vital doubleheader where fans are encouraged to come out and make a true hometown advantage.

By: Nick Beardi (Medaille College)