Lightning Rally Falls Short in 9-8 Loss to Winter Garden

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The Leesburg Lightning erased a five-run deficit and briefly took the lead Sunday night, but the Winter Garden Squeeze, playing under their alternate identity as the Horizon West Magoos, answered late to hand Leesburg a 9-8 loss at Horizon Park.

The Lightning struck first in the opening inning. Matthew Dumas scored on Charlie Keller's RBI single before Dylan Green lifted a sacrifice fly to center, giving Leesburg an early 2-0 advantage.

Winter Garden responded immediately with a four-run first inning, highlighted by Leonardo Suarez's two-run double. The Squeeze added two more runs in the third and another in the fourth to build a 7-3 lead.

Leesburg mounted its comeback in the middle innings. Keller's sacrifice fly cut the deficit to 7-3 in the fourth before the Lightning exploded for four runs in the fifth. Jack Waddingham drove in a run with an RBI double, Cory Banasiak scored on a throwing error, and Dumas lined a two-run double into the gap to even the score at 7-7.

The Lightning completed the comeback in the sixth when KT Thompson's sacrifice fly brought home Charlie Keller to put Leesburg in front, 8-7.

Winter Garden answered in the bottom half after Fabian Antonsanti stole third and scored on a throwing error to tie the game. An inning later, Antonsanti delivered again with an RBI single that proved to be the game-winning hit, though Marcello Cortale threw out the potential insurance run at the plate to keep the deficit at one.

Dumas led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, collecting two RBIs, two doubles and a walk. Keller finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Waddingham added a double and an RBI. Despite collecting just eight hits, the Lightning drew nine walks and took advantage of a Winter Garden error to rally back into the game.

Andre Bilbao Jr. kept Leesburg within striking distance with three innings of relief, allowing three runs, two earned, while striking out one. Ryan Perzanowski took the loss after surrendering two runs over 2 2/3 innings, and Carson Henrikson closed the game with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The loss dropped the Lightning to 20-8 on the season. Leesburg now heads into the Florida League All-Star break before returning to action with a three-game series against the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. The Lightning and Diamond Dawgs are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch Thursday at Alfond Stadium.

Adam Rothschild (Susquehanna University)