Hot start and late save push Lightning over Diamond Dawgs

Powerful bats and a solid start from the Leesburg Lightning (17-17-1) pushed the Bolts over the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (17-15-1) with a 9-5 win at Pat Thomas Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Diamond Dawgs starter issued a hit by pitch to Austin Mauer (Florida Southern) with bases loaded to bring home the first Lightning player in the bottom of the first. Michael Koenig (Coastal Carolina) followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to put Leesburg up 2-0 at the close of the inning.

Alex Ray (Santa Fe) became the ninth Bolt to hit a homerun this season with a two-run knock over left-center field for a 4-0 lead in the second.

Michael Johnson (North Carolina A&T) started on the bump and went 6.1 innings with five hits, one run and three strikeouts.

Two Dawgs scored on a putout and a fly ball collision ruled single between the Lightning shortstop and right fielder to cut into Leesburg’s lead 4-2.

Dominic Jeancola (Embry-Riddle) entered with one out in the seventh to close the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

“Michael Johnson gave us a really good start,” Lightning head coach Rich Billings said. “He just ran out of gas there in the seventh. I think the turning point of that game was [Jeancola] coming in and getting us out of that inning… It was a 4-2 ballgame at that point with the go-ahead run at the plate. [Jeancola] coming in and getting us out of that inning was the ballgame, to me.”

Tristen Gagan (Southeast Missouri) added to the Bolts lead in the bottom of the seventh with a hard hit double off the left field fence to score Peyton Faulkner (Southeast Missouri). Gagan was later brought home on a wild pitch and an error plated Camden Williamson (North Carolina A&T) to make it 7-2 Lightning.

Benjamin Berggren (Bethune Cookman) took over on the mound in the eighth and one Dawg came home on a double down the left field line for an 8-3 ballgame.

Leesburg earned the run right back on a wild pitch that plated Ray and put Leesburg up 9-3. Berggren returned to close it out in the ninth but after loading the bases with walks and a hit, plated two on a walk and hit by pitch.

Ryan Allain (Florida Tech) took over and earned the save with a strikeout and double play to secure a 9-5 win over the Dawgs. The victory at Pat Thomas and DeLand’s victory over the Altamonte Springs Scorpions puts Leesburg within one game of second place.

“Here, late in the season, it’s easier for them to understand one game at a time because there’s only a handful of games left,” Billings said. “They can see us gaining ground with each win… We have not even two weeks left here… It gets fun now. It’s up to them to make it fun.”

Leesburg returns to action at Pat Thomas tomorrow, July 26, to host the Scorpions for a makeup game. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Emily Shoffit - 07/25/17 10:55pm

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