Lightning drop late contest to Rats

The Leesburg Lightning (15-17-1) suffered a 9-2 loss at Sanford Memorial Stadium on Saturday night following a four-hour rain delay that suspended the first game of a double header.

Because the game started at 8:15 p.m., only seven innings were played.

The Sanford River Rats (25-10) took a 1-0 lead on a putout in the bottom of the first inning.

Leesburg didn’t respond until the top of the third on an RBI single from Jay Prather and an error for a 2-1 lead.

Dominic Jeancola replaced Tyler Parry on the mound, who went two innings with four hits, five runs and three strikeouts.

The River Rats struck again in the bottom of the inning on a single, putout and triple that made it a 5-2 ball game.

Jeancola exited in the fifth after 2.2 innings with one hit, one run and one strikeout.

Sanford four-hole hitter Alejandro Martinez drove in another with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 6-2 Rats lead.

Daniel Pierce entered for Jeancola, but after one hit and two walks was replaced by Ryan Allain. Sanford rolled out to shortstop Kevin Lambert who made a top notch play to first to get the Bolts out of the jam and send it to the sixth.

Another error and a putout put Sanford up 8-2 in the bottom of the inning. They scored their final run on a wild pitch for a 9-2 score.

Allain closed the game for the Bolts with one inning, three hits, three runs and one strikeout.

Leesburg was able to load the bases but couldn’t cut into the Rats lead in the top of the seventh.

The Lightning return to action on Monday, July 24, as they host the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs at Pat Thomas Stadium with first pitch set for 7 p.m.

Emily Shoffit (Auburn University)

Emily Shoffit - 07/22/17 10:46pm

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