Sanford River Rats

6

FINAL

8

Leesburg Lightning
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
SAN 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 12 3
LEE 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 8 11 1
WPeden
LMcCarthy
Behind Home Crowd at Pat Thomas, Leesburg Displays Heavy Dose of Resilience

Behind Home Crowd at Pat Thomas, Leesburg Displays Heavy Dose of Resilience

Photo courtesy of Amber Riccinto/Daily Commercial

LEESBURG, Fla. - The Leesburg Lightning (15-20) and Sanford River Rats (22-13) continued their rivalry on Friday night with the Lightning coming away with an all-important 8-6 win at Pat Thomas Stadium - Buddy Lowe Field. Clay Simmons and Tanner Long led the way, each powering home runs for the Lightning.

The atmosphere was palpable at Pat Thomas Stadium - Buddy Lowe Field as the Leesburg faithful were as electric as they’ve been all summer long. With only four home appearances remaining following Friday night’s game, the ever so loyal Lightning fans turned out in droves to help jolt their hometown team into the Florida Collegiate Summer League postseason.

Things started out precariously for Leesburg as starter David Baxter (Florence-Darlington Tech) walked three in the first. With the bases loaded, Collin Morrill (New Orleans) delivered a two-out RBI double into left field for Sanford, giving them an early 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the first, Cornell Nixon (Eastern Kentucky) led off with his team-leading 17th walk. Sanford starter Cody Beckman (NC State) got him leaning at first base as he increased his lead, and the River Rats were able to retire him in a rundown for the first out of the inning. Harrison Scanlon (Western Kentucky) reached base two batters later, legging out an infield single to put another runner on for Leesburg. He made way for Clay Simmons (South Florida) who took Beckman’s 2-1 fastball and smashed it over the fence in left field, sending the fans at Pat Thomas Stadium into a fury of cheers.

“Clay picked us up in a really, really, big way tonight,” Head Coach Rich Billings said. “After a few controversial calls earlier in the inning, his home run couldn’t have come at a better time.”

On his fourth home run of the season: “I got a pitch up in the zone and I made sure [Beckman] paid for it,” Clay Simmons said.

Igor Baez (Flagler) added another run in the inning with an RBI single, giving the Lightning a 3-2 lead after one.

Both teams exchanged runs in the second as Baxter walked the first batter he faced, ensuing his exit. MacLain Larson (Flagler) came out of the bullpen for Leesburg and gave up two hits as the River Rats tied the game 3-3.

With the game in slight stagnation after three lead changes, Tanner Long (Thomas) broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth with a solo shot just over the fence and below the scoreboard in right field, recapturing the lead for Leesburg.

After tacking on an additional run in the sixth, the Lightning bullpen silenced the River Rats in the seventh but were unable to display the same shutdown effort in the eighth. Following two straight walks, Drew Peden (Florida Atlantic) relieved Ryan Allain (Florida Tech) and was able to retire the first batter he faced.

With two outs, Dathan Prewett (Georgia Gwinnett) hit a dribbler to Josh Pagliei (Flagler) at second but a rushed throw got past Scanlon at first, allowing both runners to score and tie the game, 6-6.

Following the fourth lead change of the game, the Lightning responded in glorious fashion in the bottom half of the inning. Austin Simmons (Thomas) hit a line shot into right field just out of the reach of the right fielder, scoring the go-ahead run to make it 7-6. Scanlon followed one batter later with an RBI single, driving in Simmons to increase their lead to 8-6.

Simmons finished 3-for-5 with two RBI.

In the ninth, Peden (5-0) allowed the first two guys to reach but recovered, retiring the next three batters to end the game. He picked up his team-leading fifth win.

“We overcame more adversity tonight than any other game all season long,” Billings said. “When we needed to make plays we made them, when we needed big hits we got big hits. The resilience of this team was through the roof tonight.”

“It was phenomenal.”

With the win, the Lightning are now tied for the final playoff spot with the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs.

The Lightning and River Rats return to action on Saturday night as they conclude their three-game set at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.


Eddie Poe, York College of Pennsylvania

Eddie Poe - 07/22/16 11:24pm

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Batting

Name AB R H RBI BB SO
Prewett, ss 4 0 2 1 1 0
Blaylock, rf 3 0 1 1 0 1
Gibbs, lf 2 0 0 0 0 2
Diewert, cf 4 1 2 0 1 0
Wolforth, c 5 1 2 0 0 1
Lopez, dh 4 0 0 0 1 3
Morrill, 2b 5 0 1 2 0 1
Sepanek, 1b 3 1 2 0 1 1
Smith, lf/rf 2 2 0 0 2 0
Webb, 3b 3 1 2 0 1 0
Beckman, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vainer, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
McCarthy, p 0 0 0 0 0 0

Batting

2B - Morrill

RBI - Prewett, Blaylock, Morrill 2

GDP - Diewert

Baserunning

CS - Prewett, Webb

Fielding

E - Wolforth, Sepanek, Webb

E - Wolforth

Pitching

Name IP H R ER BB SO
Beckman 5.1 7 6 5 5 3
Vainer 1.2 1 0 0 0 3
McCarthy, L 1.0 3 2 2 0 0

Pitches/Strikes - Beckman 94/56, Vainer 29/20, McCarthy 14/10

Groundouts/Flyouts - Beckman 7/4, Vainer 1/2, McCarthy 3/0

Batters Faced - Beckman 27, Vainer 7, McCarthy 6

Batting

Name AB R H RBI BB SO
Nixon, ss 3 1 0 0 2 1
A. Simmons, cf 5 1 3 2 0 1
Scanlon, 1b 4 1 2 1 1 1
C. Simmons, 3b 5 1 1 2 0 1
Long, rf 2 2 1 1 1 1
Bonilla, lf 4 0 0 0 0 0
Baez, dh 4 0 2 1 0 0
Mauer, c 4 2 2 0 0 0
Pagliei, 2b 2 0 0 0 1 1
Baxter, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Larson, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Brecklin, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Allain, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Peden, p 0 0 0 0 0 0

Batting

2B - A. Simmons

3B - A. Simmons

HR - C. Simmons, Long

RBI - A. Simmons 2, Scanlon, C. Simmons 2, Long, Baez

Baserunning

SB - Nixon

Fielding

E - Pagliei

Pitching

Name IP H R ER BB SO
Baxter 1.0 2 3 3 4 2
Larson 3.0 6 1 1 0 0
Brecklin 2.0 1 0 0 1 2
Allain 1.1 0 2 1 2 3
Peden, W 1.2 3 0 0 0 2

Wild Pitches - Peden

Pitches/Strikes - Baxter 37/15, Larson 41/30, Brecklin 32/19, Allain 28/16, Peden 26/18

Groundouts/Flyouts - Larson 5/3, Brecklin 2/1, Allain 1/0, Peden 2/0

Batters Faced - Baxter 8, Larson 14, Brecklin 7, Allain 6, Peden 7

River Rats

Batting

Name AB R H RBI BB SO
Prewett, ss 4 0 2 1 1 0
Blaylock, rf 3 0 1 1 0 1
Gibbs, lf 2 0 0 0 0 2
Diewert, cf 4 1 2 0 1 0
Wolforth, c 5 1 2 0 0 1
Lopez, dh 4 0 0 0 1 3
Morrill, 2b 5 0 1 2 0 1
Sepanek, 1b 3 1 2 0 1 1
Smith, lf/rf 2 2 0 0 2 0
Webb, 3b 3 1 2 0 1 0
Beckman, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vainer, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
McCarthy, p 0 0 0 0 0 0

Batting

2B - Morrill

RBI - Prewett, Blaylock, Morrill 2

GDP - Diewert

Baserunning

CS - Prewett, Webb

Fielding

E - Wolforth, Sepanek, Webb

E - Wolforth

Pitching

Name IP H R ER BB SO
Beckman 5.1 7 6 5 5 3
Vainer 1.2 1 0 0 0 3
McCarthy, L 1.0 3 2 2 0 0

Pitches/Strikes - Beckman 94/56, Vainer 29/20, McCarthy 14/10

Groundouts/Flyouts - Beckman 7/4, Vainer 1/2, McCarthy 3/0

Batters Faced - Beckman 27, Vainer 7, McCarthy 6

Lightning

Batting

Name AB R H RBI BB SO
Nixon, ss 3 1 0 0 2 1
A. Simmons, cf 5 1 3 2 0 1
Scanlon, 1b 4 1 2 1 1 1
C. Simmons, 3b 5 1 1 2 0 1
Long, rf 2 2 1 1 1 1
Bonilla, lf 4 0 0 0 0 0
Baez, dh 4 0 2 1 0 0
Mauer, c 4 2 2 0 0 0
Pagliei, 2b 2 0 0 0 1 1
Baxter, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Larson, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Brecklin, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Allain, p 0 0 0 0 0 0
Peden, p 0 0 0 0 0 0

Batting

2B - A. Simmons

3B - A. Simmons

HR - C. Simmons, Long

RBI - A. Simmons 2, Scanlon, C. Simmons 2, Long, Baez

Baserunning

SB - Nixon

Fielding

E - Pagliei

Pitching

Name IP H R ER BB SO
Baxter 1.0 2 3 3 4 2
Larson 3.0 6 1 1 0 0
Brecklin 2.0 1 0 0 1 2
Allain 1.1 0 2 1 2 3
Peden, W 1.2 3 0 0 0 2

Wild Pitches - Peden

Pitches/Strikes - Baxter 37/15, Larson 41/30, Brecklin 32/19, Allain 28/16, Peden 26/18

Groundouts/Flyouts - Larson 5/3, Brecklin 2/1, Allain 1/0, Peden 2/0

Batters Faced - Baxter 8, Larson 14, Brecklin 7, Allain 6, Peden 7

Lightning are the 2023 FCSL Champions!