Eighth Inning Rally Propels the Lightning to Victory over Winter Park
Leesburg, FL – After a tightly contested game through the middle innings, the Leesburg Lightning broke a late tie with a five-run eighth inning to defeat the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs, 7-2, and earn their first win of the 2026 season.
Right-hander Brandon Reiter got the start for Leesburg and showcased the dominance that has made him a successful Division I pitcher. Reiter struck out four batters over the opening innings while helping keep the Diamond Dawgs in check early.
The Lightning offense wasted no time getting on the board. KT Thompson led off the bottom of the first with a double and later scored on a wild throw to the plate, giving Leesburg an early 1-0 advantage.
The second inning saw a flyout from Jack Waddingham, but not after the first home run of the season by Preston Murphy was sent out of the park into left field to give the Lightning a two-run lead.
Head coach Rich Billings turned to his bullpen in the middle innings, and the relievers answered the call. Bryan Burtoft made his season debut and recorded a strikeout while working out of trouble with help from the defense behind him.
Ledger Pleasant collected his first hit of the season in the fifth inning, building on a 2025 campaign in which he hit .262 with 17 hits. Catcher Cory Banasiak followed with a base hit of his own as the Lightning continued to put runners on base.
Miguel Figueroa and Bryce Gluckman combined for five strikeouts in relief, helping shut down the Diamond Dawgs and keep the game within reach heading into the late innings.
Murphy continued his strong night at the plate with a single later in the game, adding to his impressive season-opening performance.
The turning point came in the bottom of the eighth. Andon Gray, Gabe Campos, and Thompson opened the inning with three consecutive hits to load the bases. Marcello Cortale and Hudson Reed followed with back-to-back RBI singles, bringing home two runs and giving the Lightning the lead for good.
Turner Gross also reached base in the inning after starting the night 0-for-3, helping keep the rally alive. Waddingham capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly that plated the seventh and final run of the game.
Ethon Tesmer came in for the ninth to close it out. Tesmer forced right fielder Jake Biaggi and centerfielder Jacob Pearl into groundouts while striking out Anthony Vizzini to secure the victory.
With the win, the Lightning improved to 1-0 on the season. Leesburg returns to Pat Thomas Stadium on Saturday, May 30, at 7:00 PM for another matchup against the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs.
Adam Rothschild (Susquehanna University)