Snappers Outlast Lightning On Walk-Off Balk

ORLANDO, Fla. - 

The Orlando Snappers escaped with a 7-6 victory over the Leesburg Lightning on Monday night in one of the wildest games of the Florida Collegiate Summer League season.

The contest featured high-caliber baseball mixed with complete chaos. It began with perhaps the best starting pitching performance of the season and a series of line-drive base hits before eventually devolving into a knuckleballing position player and a walk-off balk.

The Lightning had won the previous two matchups against the Snappers, taking 12-5 and 11-4 victories. That added even more pressure on Orlando to respond. The shorthanded Snappers showed grit throughout the contest, eventually outlasting Leesburg.

There's no better place to start than with Christian Helmers, a flamethrower from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Helmers turned in the first quality start of the season for Orlando, working six innings while allowing just one run against one of the league's most dangerous lineups.

Orlando jumped out to a 5-1 lead thanks to timely hitting from Luke Mottola, Santiago Busot and Roy Rodriguez. Rodriguez finished with two doubles and a single while also handling a busy night at shortstop.

The lead, however, would not last.

The Snappers entered the game with just two healthy pitchers available: Helmers and Luis Machado. That made Helmers' performance even more important. Orlando coach Alan Kunkel and his staff spent the late innings searching for ways to bridge the gap to Machado, who was slated to close the ninth.

"Can you get me three outs?" was the question Kunkel posed to a roster full of position players.

Ty Kennedy volunteered.

Kennedy, a middle infielder currently in the transfer portal after redshirting at Oklahoma State this spring, had never pitched at a competitive level.

"I threw knuckleballs and fastballs exclusively," Kennedy said after the game.

The self-described knuckleballer worked his way through the seventh inning, allowing two runs while preserving Orlando's lead entering the eighth.

Then came Colby Brewington.

Brewington had not pitched since he was 14 years old. He entered with Orlando leading 5-3 in the eighth inning and proceeded to throw no faster than the speed limit on Interstate 4 — a true law-abiding citizen.

Despite battling lower-body cramps, Brewington eventually recorded three outs, though not before allowing three runs and surrendering the lead.

The Snappers responded immediately, tying the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth. Machado followed with a scoreless ninth, giving Orlando a chance to walk it off.

Mason Resmondo was hit by the first pitch he saw to begin the inning. Roy Rodriguez followed with a single to left field, and Elvin Figueroa drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out.

That brought James Hankerson Jr. to the plate.

Hankerson fell behind in the count, and then it happened.

A balk.

Lightning pitcher Ethon Tesmer was called for a balk, one of baseball's most misunderstood and controversial rules. Resmondo was awarded home plate and strolled home with his arms raised in celebration.

Orlando had balked it off.

The 7-6 victory came against the top-ranked team in the Florida Collegiate Summer League standings and improved the Snappers to 8-4-1 on the season. Leesburg fell to 10-3.

The teams will not have to wait long for a rematch, as they meet again Tuesday night at The First Academy. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Theo Shernoff (Michigan)