Leesburg to Face Sanford at The Trop
LEESBURG, Fla. — After 122 games over a two-month span (including playoffs), the Florida Collegiate Summer League championship game is set. The Leesburg Lightning face the Sanford River Rats today at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg — home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sanford leads Leesburg in the head-to-head matchup, 6-3.
Leesburg is looking for their third FCSL Championship in six championship game appearances.
Darren Kelly takes the mound for the Lightning on Sunday evening.
Kelly is the ace of the Leesburg staff — registering a 2.80 ERA in 51 1/3 innings of work. He has given up 34 hits, allowed 20 walks, and struck out 32 batters in the regular season.
Although Kelly struggled against Sanford in his only outing against them — giving up five runs in 1 2/3 innings — he knows he can get the job done.
The Lightning's bullpen will be ready when called upon as multiple relievers have had success against the River Rats.
Dan Twitty has thrown six scoreless innings against Sanford in five appearances. He allowed six hits, walked two, and struck out four.
Jason Gifford has had success against the River Rats as well — giving up one run on two hits in three appearances, tallying 5 1/3 innings of work. He has walked two and struck out five.
Offensively, Tanner Long, RJ Warnock, and Josh Pagliei have had good success against Sanford.
Long posted a .394 batting average in 33 at-bats against the River Rats. He has walked twice, knocked in two runs, and scored five runs.
In 13 at-bats, Warnock has a .385 batting average while drawing four walks and scoring a run.
Pagliei rounds them out, batting .294 in 17 at-bats against the River Rats. He recorded two doubles, one RBI, walked twice and scored five runs.
On the other side, Sanford is looking for their second Whiting Cup in four championship game appearances.
A pitcher has yet to be determined by the River Rats.
Relievers Keisy Portorreal, Frank Grandinette, and Charlie Skantze have been lights out against Leesburg — allowing two runs, zero earned, on seven hits in a combined 13 1/3 innings pitched.
The Sanford lineup has had a lot of success against the Lightning.
Six players are batting over .300 while three of them have a .400 batting average or greater.
The odds may seem stacked up against Leesburg but in one game, anything can happen.
For more information about the championship game, please visit: http://floridaleague.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=-Q35h2CcbTY%3d&tabid=39
Sean Naylor (York College of Pennsylvania)