LEESBURG, Fla. -- In Leesburg, nothing goes together quite like Independence Day and Lightning baseball. The Lightning (11-14) and Sanford River Rats (14-12) squared off under the lights and fireworks.
Due to lightning delays and the postgame fireworks show, the game was shortened to a five inning contest.
The two runs scored by the River Rats were all that was needed. A sacrifice fly from Jarrod Cande (Florida Southern) got the scoring started. Francis Villaman (Florida International) later singled to give the Rats an early 2-0 lead.
The Lightning also got on the board early. Max Law (Embry-Riddle) singled home Robbie Scott (North Florida) to cut the deficit in half for Leesburg.
Both offenses were extremely quiet after the first, with each team failing to score for the remainder of the game.
The River Rats sat the Lightning down in order in the fifth to escape with the 2-1 win.
Sam Bennett (Chicago) was a bright spot for the Bolts, as he pitched two innings and faced the minimum. He struck out two as well.
The Lightning outhit the River Rats, 6-3. However, walks doomed the Lightning pitchers. A hit by pitch and two walks helped the Rats score two early runs, despite only recording two hits in the game.
The Lightning finished the first half of the season with an 11-14 record. They will be back in action on Monday, following the All-Star break, to face the DeLand Suns at Pat Thomas Stadium.
