sfoggi posted on July 20, 2011 21:44
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (July 20, 2011) – The Winter Haven Loggerheads snapped a seven-game losing streak as they came out victorious over the Leesburg Lightning, 7-4, Wednesday night at Chain of Lakes Park.
The victory marks the first for the Loggerheads since the beginning of the month of July when Winter Haven captured a road victory over the Freedom. The win breaks double-figures in the win column for a 10-19 overall record.
Andrew Sterling (Dickinson College), Kyle Campbell (Stetson), Sean O’Brien (Florida State), and Jonathan Hall (Trinity) each grabbed a pair of knocks off the Lightning pitching staff to lead the squad.
The fans at Chain of Lakes Park were privy to see the Loggerheads’ first home run at the field as Campbell blasted a solo shot over the leftfield wall, his second, to put Winter Haven up 1-0 in the opening frame.
Making his first home start in over a month, Matt Fishman (Quincy, 2-2) picked up his second win of the season in six innings on the bump. Fishman’s only blemish on the night was a two-run second. Of the six innings he worked, five went scoreless.
Brady Rodriguez (Abilene Christian) came on in relief in the top of the seventh and pitched effectively for three innings. He recorded a pair of punch-outs and gave up Leesburg’s final two runs.
Winter Haven trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the second, but took a 4-2 lead in the fourth on three runs scored. Another three-run inning for the Loggerheads would give them a cushion they could rest on as they cruised on by the Lightning for their first home victory this month.
The Loggerheads outhit the Lightning, 12-7, and only committed two errors to Leesburg’s three.
The win gives the Loggerheads a boost of confidence as they end their three-game home stand on Thursday, July 21 as they host the Sanford River Rats at 7 p.m.