Lightning Storm Into Winter Park, Leaving No Survivors

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Leesburg Lightning (19-20) stormed into Bishop Moore High School on Tuesday night and obliterated the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (14-22) in seven innings, 20-3. Behind 19 hits and Michael Koenig’s (South Florida) two home-run performance, Leesburg picked up its fifth consecutive win.

The Lightning are a well oiled machine and at the moment, they’re firing on all cylinders. They have caught fire at just the right time and are surging towards the end of the season with a vengeance.

After sweeping Monday’s doubleheader at Pat Thomas Stadium - Buddy Lowe Field, the Lightning were in search of another win that would help aid their climb up the Florida Collegiate Summer League standings.

Leesburg was anything but kind to Winter Park starter Hunter McMahon (Coffeyville CC), roughing him up for five runs on five hits in the first. Clay Simmons (South Florida) got things going with an RBI single to center field, scoring Cornell Nixon (Eastern Kentucky) and Austin Simmons (Thomas) for the first two runs of the game.

Tanner Long (Thomas), Jose Bonilla (Florida Atlantic), and Michael Koenig (South Florida) contributed RBI hits, giving the Lightning a 5-0 lead after one.

With one out in the second, Austin Simmons took a 2-1 pitch from McMahon and drilled it over the fence in right field — his second of the season. Another run scored on an error by McMahon, increasing the lead to 7-0.

Trace Norkus (North Florida) was excellent for Leesburg, giving up just five hits and one run in four innings of work. The Diamond Dawgs were unable to get anything going as Norkus countered all five hits with a strikeout. He was much deserving of the win, but settled for the no-decision.

Winter Park chose to stay with McMahon through the fourth, and the Lightning were very much pleased with the decision.

Following a run scored on a fielder’s choice, Koenig hit a two-RBI single to center field to make it 10-0. Chris Campbell (Hill JC) relieved McMahon but a big inning for Leesburg was just beginning. Nixon singled down the right field line, scoring Koenig to increase the lead to 11-0. An error and wild pitch scored two more, but not before a seventh run in the inning made it 14-0.

“We’re hitting our stride right now and everything is coming together,” Head Coach Rich Billings said. “

Koenig added to Winter Park’s misery in the fifth, homering deep over the fence in left field — his third of the season. He added another in the seventh, finishing 4-for-5 at the plate with seven RBI.

Austin and Clay Simmons combined to go 7-for-12 with five RBI and six runs scored. Long also had a great performance at the plate, finishing 3-for-6 with an RBI.

With 19 hits, the Lightning set a new team record — surpassing 18 hits in both 2009 and 2011. With 20 runs, the Lightning also tied their all-time record for runs in a game (2008 vs. Belleview).

Starters 1-9 combined for a total of 19 RBI — also setting a new Lightning record.

Over their last five games, Leesburg has scored 64 runs and are currently sporting their longest winning streak of the season.

“There’s still a lot of baseball to be played and these guys know that,” Billings said. “We’re just taking it a game at a time, but the way we’re playing…

… It looks like we’ve saved the best for last.”

With the win, the Lightning remain a half game behind the Altamonte Springs Boom (18-18) for third place.

Leesburg will return to action on Wednesday night as they travel to Conrad Park to take on the second place DeLand Suns. The two teams will continue a suspended game from July 14. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Eddie Poe, York College of Pennsylvania

Eddie Poe - 07/27/16 1:03am

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