The Lightning Struggled Against a Tough Snappers Lineup in an 8-6 Loss

Leesburg, Fla- A 7 run 6th inning from the Snappers offense was the difference maker in game 15 of the season. With the loss, Leesburg is now tied for second place in the standings with Orlando at 9-6. 
 
The first inning fireworks continued for both teams with Orlando getting a run after a throwing error from C Trey Craft allowed a runner to score from third making it 1-0. 
 
Leesburg would answer starting with a wild pitch that saw LF Julian Irizarry come home followed by an RBI single from 1B James Strom. An error by Orlando’s shortstop allowed another run to score which extended the Lightning lead to 3-1. 
 
Starting LHP Gunnar Plante was cruising through the first two innings before he ran into some trouble in the 3rd but would exit without allowing a hit or an earned run. After RHP Zachary Murkin came on to retire the last batter in the 3rd, LHP Nicholas Delnegro was put in and threw back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. 
 
Things started to get out of hand in the 6th with Delnegro allowing three straight hits that tied the game up at 3-3. Another base hit gave the Snappers the lead as they continued to give the lefty trouble, eventually loading the bases after an error at third kept the inning going. Coach Billings brought on RHP Blake Tipmore to get the last out, but Orlando’s LF William Walburn had other plans and sent a ball over the right field wall for a grand slam. After being up two runs going into the inning, the Lightning now had to face an 8-3 deficit. 
 
In the bottom of the inning, the offense would start to chip away at the lead beginning with an RBI single down the third base line off the bat of 3B Reid Snider. SS Grant Jordan picked up his first hit of the season at the perfect time as he drove in another run to cut the lead to 8-5. Snider would come around to score after an error by the second baseman allowed CF Eli Thurmond to reach safely making it an 8-6 ballgame. 
 
Unfortunately, during the top of the 7th, the lightning horn would sound and mark the end of Leesburg’s efforts to comeback from a 5-run deficit. With the timer resetting due to constant lightning strikes, the game would be called like it was in the second game of the doubleheader on Monday. The Lightning fall to 1-3 against the Snappers and are now tied for second place after the 8-6 win. 
 
Despite the outcome, Coach Billings noted a positive from the game which was Plante’s solid start on the bump. 
 
“Gunnar Plante was really good and that's the best he's thrown,” said Billings. “We saw a ton of progress there; he was throwing first pitch strikes and he got every leadoff hitter out in his 3 innings. That’s a huge victory for him, a guy who has not been on the mound at all this spring and just kind of slowly working back into it.”
 
The Lightning enjoy a rare Wednesday off before starting a four-game series with the Squeeze on Thursday June 19. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m at Horizon High School. 
 
Vic Maslia (Syracuse University)

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