Lightning Defeat Squeeze in Extra Inning Thriller

WINTER GARDEN, Fla - The Leesburg Lightning came out on the winning side of an epic back and forth battle with the Winter Garden Squeeze on Friday night at West Orange High School. The Lightning won 8-7 in extra innings of a shortened seven inning contest due to an extensive rain delay. 

Noah Best (Birmingham Southern) drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth with a groundout to second base that scored Austin Brinling (Daytona State) from third. Best finished the day 1 for 5 with three of the biggest RBIs of the game coming in the final two innings. 

The starting pitching nod went to right-hander Tyler Van Dyke (Seminole St) for the first time this season and he was incredibly dominant. The Seminole State College sophomore hurled four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine. He would receive a no-decision as the Squeeze tied the ballgame in the fifth. 

In what was a 1-1 game heading to the eighth inning, both teams had just three hits and double-digit strikeouts. Due to the shortened game format, the eighth was played as an extra inning, placing a runner on second to start the frame. 

To lead off the eighth, Best failed to get down two bunt attempts and decided to take matters into his own hands by belting a two-run homer to deep left field, giving Leesburg the 3-1 lead. 

The Bolts were not done yet as two more runs would score in the inning on a pair of wild pitches and a dropped fly-ball in left field that plated catcher Travis Stapleton (Polk St) for a 6-1 edge.

Right-handed closer Connor Gleeson (Gardner Webb) entered in the bottom of the eighth and abnormally allowed his first runs of the year. After two scored on a passed ball and fielder's choice, Winter Garden trailed by three and was down to its final strike with two runners on base. 

Squeeze outfielder Noah Dickerson (Arkansas Little Rock) deposited a clutch three-run blast to right center field to tie the ballgame at 6 in the bottom of the eighth. Leesburg could not believe it and closed out the inning, heading to the ninth. 

The Lightning cashed in with two runs in the top of the ninth via another wild pitch scoring outfielder Michael Furry (Troy) and the RBI groundout from Best. Leesburg led 8-6 and Gleeson came back out for the bottom of the ninth. 

Another hit from Winter Garden scored a run to start the inning that drew the Squeeze within one. Gleeson would strikeout the next batter and another game-ending double play from the Leesburg infield would seal the win. Gleeson would earn his first victory of the season. 

The Lightning have won four in a row and will look to sweep the Winter Garden Squeeze on Saturday night at West Orange High School. Leesburg will tie their season-high winning streak of five if they take game three. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. 

Tom Cavanaugh, (Michigan State University)

Tom Cavanaugh - 06/25/22 3:23am

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