Lightning's Winning Streak Comes To End In Split Doubleheader

WINTER GARDEN, Fla.-The Leesburg Lightning (8-7) split a road doubleheader Friday, beating the Winter Garden Squeeze by a score of 11-4 and dropping the second game by a score of 6-2. 

This three-game weekend set between the two teams is crucial for the Florida League standings, as after Friday's results, the Squeeze are in second place and the Lightning are in third with only one game separating the two teams.

Game One

A huge fifth inning propelled the Lightning to a 11-4 win in the first game of the doubleheader.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Clayton Boroski (North Florida) for the Lightning and Jordan Huskey (Arkansas) for the Squeeze throughout the first four innings, and Winter Garden led 1-0 going into the fifth inning, with a solo homerun producing the only run of the game.

When Leesburg finally broke through in the fifth inning, they made a huge statement, putting up seven runs in the frame. 

“This team is a streaky team and once we start putting runs up, it’s tough to stop us,” Leesburg Lightning Head Coach Rich Billings said. “But it’s the getting going part that has been a little bit of a struggle for us this season.”

The highlight of the inning was a three-run homerun by Michael Furry (St. Johns River State), who had a massive game with a double earlier in the ballgame. 

The Lightning would put the final nail in the coffin for game one, as Drew Leinenbach (North Florida) smoked a double into the gap two drive in two runs and cap off a four-run seventh inning. 

“Leinenbach and Furry swing the bat and can run at an elite level,” Billings said. “Drew (Leinenbach) has struggled a little bit so far this season, so if he can get it going like he did today, it’s going to be a bonus because I think we are already pretty good offensively.”

This 11-4 win extended the Lightning’s winning streak to six games going into the second game of the doubleheader. 

Game Two

With the Lightning seemingly having all the momentum going into game two of the doubleheader, after winning the first game and being on a six-game winning streak, the Squeeze came back with a huge answer to win 6-2.

It was almost an exact replica of game one throughout the first four innings of game two, as the Squeeze lead 1-0 going into the fifth inning. 

Riley Fitzgerald (Flagler) turned in another phenomenal performance on the mound for the Lightning, pitching four innings and giving up one unearned run, lowering his ERA on the season to 1.20 in 15 innings pitched. 

Both teams started to find their stride offensively in the fifth inning, as the Lightning scored two runs in the top half and the Squeeze answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

The story of game two for the Lightning was the missed opportunity in the sixth inning, as they loaded up the bases with no outs and were unable to produce even a single run while trailing 4-2. 

“We have to swing at better pitches and not squander those opportunities,” Billings said. “We didn’t execute in some of the key situations and we just have to be better next time around.”

The Squeeze put the Lightning’s hopes away with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning and closing out Leesburg in the seventh to win 6-2.

The Lightning will be back in action against the Squeeze Saturday in the series finale between the teams. First pitch is set for 7 PM at Pat Thomas Stadium. 

(Carter Mansfield, Austin Peay State University)

Carter Mansfield - 06/24/23 1:54am

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