Late rally not enough for Lightning, fall to Squeeze

The Leesburg Lightning (6-8) hosted the Winter Garden Squeeze (8-8) in a makeup game previously rained out earlier in the season. The bats from both squads battled back and forth with a ninth inning rally cut short for Leesburg as they dropped the game 8-6 on Sunday night.

“There were too many two strike hits, too many pitches left over the plate and [Parry] is a guy that’s got to pitch and he knows that,” Lightning head coach Rich Billings said. “He’s pitched with so much confidence to this point and I don’t think there’s any reason to be concerned. I think he’ll be right back out there next time doing his thing.”

Tyler Parry started on the mound for the Lightning going five innings with six hits, five runs and three strikeouts.

A solo homerun in the top of the second put the Squeeze on the board first for a 1-0 lead.

The Lightning responded in the third with an RBI double from Peyton Faulkner and an RBI single to left by Tristen Gagan for a 2-1 lead.

An error at third plated another run for Winter Garden in the fourth and tied the contest 2-2. Camden Williamson knocked a single to centerfield for the Lightning to score Brenton Burgess and Cage Cox for a 4-2 Lightning lead.

Three runs crossed for the Squeeze in the fifth inning to make the score 5-4 in Winter Garden’s favor.

Michael Johnson saw an inning of relief for Leesburg with one hit and was followed by Dominic Jeancola, who tossed two innings with two strikeouts and one hit.

Ryan Allain closed the top of the ninth but three would score for Winter Garden to take an 8-4 lead.

“I told them the team that has the toughest at bats in the last two innings is going to win the game,” Billings said. “[Winter Garden] put up three runs in the ninth and all their good at bats came with two outs and we just we’re able to match it.”

In the bottom of the inning the Lightning rallied after a bases loaded walk scored one and a sacrifice fly from Gagan added another to cut into the Squeeze’s 8-6 lead. It was all the Lightning could accomplish before a final strikeout ended the ballgame.

“We have to win at all cost tomorrow,” Billings said. “It’s a must win game.”

Leesburg will return home Monday, June 26, to host Winter Garden at Pat Thomas with a 7 p.m. start time.

Emily Shoffit - 06/25/17 7:57pm

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