The Lightning Pitching Staff Shines in Another Run Rule Victory Against the Diamond Dawgs, 9-1

Leesburg, Fla- In an 8-inning affair, Coach Billings pitching staff gives up just one run after surrendering at least 6 in every prior. The only blemish was LHP Josh Cone having to exit the ballgame in the 3rd inning after a non-contact injury.
 
Leesburg was able to avoid first inning trouble after a perfect relay started by LF Riley Fitzgerald led to a bullet from TJ Socarras to nab a runner trying to score from first. 
 
That momentum would carry over into the bottom of the inning as 2B Ryan Jenkins got the scoring started with an RBI single. RF Charlie Keller would add on with a 2 RBI double followed by a wild pitch in the next at bat that gave Leesburg a 4-0 lead. 
 
Cone would pitch another scoreless frame in the 2nd before the Lightning would tack on another run in the bottom of the inning after an error by the Diamond Dawgs right fielder allowed Socarras to score making it 5-0. 
 
After getting the first two batters out in the 3rd, Cone would exit with an injury in the middle of an at bat, giving way to RHP Blake Tipmore. The righty would end up facing 11 batters in just over two innings pitched striking out 6 without allowing a run. 
 
The Lightning padded their lead in the 4th with an RBI single from extra hitter Ledger Pleasant put the lead at 6-0. Then in the 6th, Socarras blasted a double over the center fielders head which plated another two more to make it 8-0. 
 
With Winter Park down to its final two outs in the 7th, an RBI single from Lee-Anthony Santiago extended the game, putting the score at 8-1.
 
The flamethrowing RHP Jose Paniagua came on in the 8th to keep the lead at 7, punching out four batters after a dropped third strike put a runner on. 
 
With Leesburg needing just one more run, CF Eli Thurmond stepped up and capped things off with an RBI single to give the team back-to-back run rule victories. 
 
Coach Billings had plenty of good things to say about his pitching staff after a stellar performance from five different arms. He touched on how Cone bounced back after a rough first outing before exiting early due to injury. 
 
“Really good command of his breaking ball, it was sharp tonight,” said Billings. “I thought he went deep in too many counts in the first inning which got him in trouble, but he was able to make some mechanical adjustments in between innings which is rare to see. He made them on the fly and went back out and just pounded the strike zone. 
 
Due to the unexpected injury to Cone, Tipmore had no time to warm up in the bullpen before being put in, yet the righty still found a way to dominate in his third outing of the season.
 
“I was just trying to get ahead of hitters, and I walked a few guys, but I was testing them with a fastball and playing off of that,” said Tipmore. “After the game, Coach told me he was going to go with one of the more mature guys…so I was just trying to get outs as quickly as I could and my stuff was just working well.”  
 
Leesburg will go for the sweep on Saturday June 7th in Winter Park. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Alfond Stadium.
 
Vic Maslia (Syracuse University)

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