Lightning Quiet the Boom

8/6/15

LEESBURG, Fla. — A two-out, two-run double off the bat of Gustavo Rios (Alabama State) in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Leesburg Lightning to a 5-4 victory over the Altamonte Springs Boom on Thursday night at Pat Thomas Stadium-Buddy Lowe Field.

The Lightning, who also beat the Boom on Wednesday in Altamonte Springs, now advance to the FCSL Championship game on Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

It will be Leesburg's sixth appearance in the title game.

"All of the roller coaster of emotions we dealt with throughout the season doesn't mean anything now as we are heading to Tropicana," Lightning head coach Rich Billings said. "This is a testament to our guys. They play day in and day out. Can't take anything away from them."

Austin Simmons (Newberry) led off the bottom of the eighth with a double down the left field line and eventually reached third — after Josh Pagliei (Flagler) drew a walk — on a passed ball.

"Austin has been so good the second half of the season," Billings said. "He has earned everything he's gotten."

Doug Teegarden (Eastern Kentucky) drove Simmons in with a sacrifice fly to center, cutting the Altamonte Springs lead to one.

Tanner Long (Thomas) then drew a walk, placing runners at first and second.

That's when Rios came up to the plate in his fourth at-bat and knocked the two runs in with a double down the right field line.

"I kept trying to get my pitch," Rios said. "With two strikes, I had to put the ball in play, luckily it found grass in right field."

The Boom took the 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth as Blake Sanderson (Florida Atlantic) gave up an RBI single to Matt Gandy (Creighton).

Sanderson's night ended after that.

He allowed three runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. He walked four and struck out five in the no-decision.

"Blake didn't have his best stuff tonight," Billings said. "That's the sign of a good pitcher though, when you don't have your best stuff and still only give up three runs."

Although Altamonte Springs scored another run in the sixth inning to extend their lead to two, the Lightning bullpen held their own in the final 4 2/3 innings of relief.

Combined, they gave up one run on three hits while walking one and striking out two.

"These guys do a great job of coming in and shutting the door on opposing offenses," Billings said. "Having Paesano back just makes this bullpen even better."

Leesburg opened up the game with two runs on four hits — two being bunts — in the bottom of the first and the Boom matched them in the top of the third to tie the game up at two.

That would be it for the Lightning until the bottom of the eighth as Devin Pellien (Nova Southeastern) shut them down.

"We sat on the two runs," Billings said. "We had Pellien on the ropes with a chance to knock him out of the game but didn't take advantage of it."

In seven innings pitched, Pellien gave up two runs on six hits — earning the no-decision. He walked two and struck out three.

Drew Peden (Daytona State) entered the game in the top of the ninth — closing it out with a 6-4-3 double play to earn the save and the trip to the FCSL Championship game at the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sean Naylor - 08/07/15 7:59am

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