Leesburg Drops Doubleheader at Winter Park

ORLANDO, FL- The Leesburg Lightning (10-8) returned to action after a nine day absence for a doubleheader against the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs (11-11). The Lightning lost a condensed Game 1 8-3 and then were mercy ruled 10-2 in the second.

Game 1

Things started off on the wrong foot for the Lightning right from the get-go, as starter Garrett Boeckle (Northwestern) was tagged for five earned runs through just an inning of work. Beau Fletcher (Troy) was solid in three innings of relief, but allowed two earned runs.

Trailing 8-0 in the second, the Lightning began to string together some momentum, scoring a run in each of the next three innings. Despite scoring three runs, they stranded four on the basepaths. Naphis Llanos (Francis Marion) reached base in both of his at-bats via free passes, and JD Stubbs (Georgia Gwinnett) scorched a double in the fourth to pace the Lightning, who had their momentum cut short when a weather delay paused the game in the bottom of the fifth. After a lengthy delay, it was called after just four and a half innings, giving Leesburg a 8-3 loss in the opener.

Game 2

The second of the twin billing started much more on-course for the Lightning after three scoreless between the two teams. Tyler Tipton (FGCU) got the start and cruised through his first three innings of work, allowing just two singles and a walk while fanning a pair. 

The Lightning offense, which had only mustered a pair of baserunners on one hit through the first three innings, woke up in the fourth. Cam Hill (Georgia College & State) and Vaun Brown (Florida Southern) opened up the inning with back to back singles, the latter of the two scoring Hill for the first run of the game. A balk by Diamond Dawgs starter Dariel Frehio (St. Leo) plated Brown and made it 2-0. 

Things then inexplicably got away from the Lightning in the next half inning. After lights-out pitching through the first three, Tipton lost his footing in the fourth, allowing back-to-back baserunners following a flyout. The Lightning wouldn’t be able to recover from a run-scoring error in the field after, with Tipton walking a batter and allowing a double before being pulled. He was charged with the loss after going 3.1 innings, allowing four earned runs (5 total) on four hits. 

At that point, the Diamond Dawgs were a freight train with no plans of stopping. They touched up both Will Sprague (Virginia Wesleyan) and Evan Waterbor (FAU), who managed just one out and five runs between the two of them. Gerry Kelly (Undecided) finally put out the fire by striking out the only batter he faced, but the damage had been done. An otherwise superb bullpen, which is widely regarded as one of the best if not the best in the entire league, owned a season ERA of 2.74 and an absurd 1.03 ERA over their last five games. In the fourth inning alone, they allowed six hits and ten runs, eight of which were earned. 

The Lightning went down 1-2-3 in the fifth and were run ruled in five by a score of 10-2. It was the first time they had been mercied all season, and was also their fourth loss to the Diamond Dawgs in five games this season.

The Lightning will try to salvage a game on Saturday at 7pm when they take on the Diamond Dawgs at Pat Thomas Stadium to close out their series with Dylan Kelley (UNF) expected to get the start. The Lightning will more than likely play on Sunday as they attempt to make up previously postponed games, but details have yet to be announced.

Matias Weilmann (Ithaca College)

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