Suns Capitalize on Sixth-Inning Surge to Defeat Lightning 10-1

Leesburg, Fla. – The Leesburg Lightning grabbed an early lead Tuesday night, but a six-run sixth inning by the DeLand Suns turned the game decisively as Leesburg fell 10-1 at Pat Thomas Stadium. 

Leesburg struck first in the second inning when Marcello Cortale lined an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Turner Gross for a 1-0 advantage. The Lightning threatened more, but the Suns got Hudson Reed out at the plate to limit the damage. 

DeLand answered in the third as Shane Thomas delivered an RBI double to tie the game before later scoring on a wild pitch. Akhil Nimmala followed with an RBI single, giving the Suns a 3-1 lead. 

The Suns added another run in the fifth when Nimmala drove in Thomas with a groundout, extending the advantage to 4-1. 

After keeping the game within reach through five innings, the Lightning saw DeLand break it open in the sixth. Bryce Pasternack lined a two-run single that was aided by a fielding error, allowing a third run to score on the play. Benjamin Rogozinski Jr. followed with a two-run triple to left-center, and another wild pitch brought home the inning's sixth run as the Suns stretched their lead to 10-1. 

Cortale paced the Lightning offense with a double and the team’s lone RBI. Gross, Charlie Keller, Ledger Pleasant, Cory Banasiak, Andon Gray, and KT Thompson each added a hit as Leesburg collected seven hits on the night. 

Bryce Gluckman took the loss despite striking out four over 4.1 innings. JD Aragort, Lucas Perez, and Ethon Tesmer combined to cover the final 2.2 innings of relief. 

DeLand starter Colby White was dominant, tossing a complete-game effort over seven innings while allowing just one run on seven hits and striking out six. 

The Suns finished with 11 hits, led by Rogozinski's three-hit, four-RBI performance and a pair of hits from Thomas. DeLand also took advantage of three Lightning errors and three wild pitches in the victory. 

With the loss, Leesburg dropped to 13-6 on the season. After the day off, it will be the start of a crucial three-game series vs the Sanford River Rats beginning on Thursday, June 25th at 6:30 PM against the River Rats at Sanford Memorial Stadium. 

Adam Rothschild (Susquehanna University) 

Return to News