Lightning Walk Off Dawgs to Take 1-0 Series Lead

LEESBURG, Fla. – The Leesburg Lightning moved within one win of the Florida Collegiate Summer League Championship Series, rallying for a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs in 11 innings Tuesday night at Pat Thomas Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three semifinal series.

Winter Park struck first in the opening inning when Garrett Frost delivered an RBI single, but the Lightning answered immediately. Matthew Dumas reached base and eventually scored as a pair of Diamond Dawgs errors tied the game at 1-1.

Leesburg took its first lead in the third when Andon Gray lined an RBI single to center, scoring Dumas to make it 2-1. The Diamond Dawgs responded with two runs in the fifth to regain the advantage before Charlie Keller tied the game with a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Winter Park capitalized on defensive miscues to score two unearned runs in the sixth and take a 5-3 lead, but Marcello Cortale answered with an RBI double later in the inning to pull the Lightning within a run.

Facing defeat in the ninth, Leesburg forced extra innings when Hayden Gustavson came through with a clutch RBI single that scored Preston Murphy to tie the game at 5-5.

Carson Henrikson kept the Lightning alive with a dominant relief appearance, allowing one hit over five scoreless innings while striking out 10. Cody Clymer followed with a scoreless 11th inning to earn the victory.

In the bottom of the 11th, Dylan Green advanced to third on a fielder's choice before racing home with the winning run when an errant throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, sealing a 6-5 walk-off victory for Leesburg.

The Lightning lead the best-of-three semifinal series 1-0 and can clinch a berth in the FCSL Championship Series with a win in Game 2, scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Alfond Stadium in Winter Park.