After winning eight straight ball games, the Winter Garden Squeeze dropped both games of the doubleheader against the Leesburg Lightning Saturday night in Winter Garden.

Ironically enough, the Squeeze’s win streak started with taking both games of a doubleheader against Leesburg back on June 22. With these two wins, Leesburg has extended their own win streak to five games.

Game One

Game one was a continuation of the 4th of July contest. The game picked up with Leesburg out front 2-0 in the top of the fourth. Winter Garden came out the gate swinging to start off the game with back-to-back doubles off the bats of Garrett Byrd (Valdosta State) and Titan Kamaka (Mercer). Byrd was able to score on Kamaka’s double and Kamaka came around on a sac-fly from Todd Clay (UAB).

The Lightning would strike right back in the home half to push the lead right back to two runs. Gabriel Santiago (Coker) and Ryan Jenkins (Carson Newman) hit back-to-back RBI singles to plate one run each.

In the sixth inning, the Squeeze mirrored the fourth inning in terms of how they scored to tie up the game once again. Byrd led the inning off with another double and came around as a RBI for Kamaka. Kamaka would then score on a Clay sac-fly again.

Just like the fourth inning, Leesburg would answer right back and score two more to retake a two-run lead. Jenkins intentionally got in a rundown between first and second to allow Travis Stapleton (Lipscomb) to score from third, one pitch before James Strom (Akron) sent a ball over the right field wall to wrap up the scoring in game one at 6-4 in favor of the Lightning.

Ben Maskin (Erskine) had a great game at the dish, finishing 3-4 with a double. The corner infielder has four doubles on the year.

Tommy Groom (North Florida) started the game Thursday and threw all three innings before the suspension allowing four hits, giving up two earned, striking out four batters. Kaiden Perez (Saint Leo) took over for Groom Saturday and was tagged with the loss, giving up four earned in three innings of work. Mark Chapa (Texas A&M Int.) threw another scoreless outing, tossing two innings without allowing a hit, striking out three in the process.

Game Two

In game two, the Winter Garden offense struggled, only stringing four hits in the 7-1 loss.

Nick Viera (UCF) looked virtually un-hittable in his four innings, allowing just two base runners on two hits with seven punch outs. Viera started the ball game with five straight strikeouts.

It seemed to be just “one of those days” for Winter Garden as everything that could fall in favor of the Lightning did. From balls bouncing halfway down the baseline on blocks behind the dish to high chopping infield singles for RBIs for Leesburg, it just simply wasn’t Winter Garden’s game.

Nolan Maroth (undecided) was hit with the loss giving up six earned in 3.2 innings of work. Maroth was just announced as an FCSL all-star Saturday afternoon, along with eight other Squeeze players.

Leesburg notched all seven of their runs before the Squeeze got on the board. Three runs came in the second before four crossed in the fourth inning. The Squeeze’s lone run came off a bases loaded walk to Issac Stanwick (Texas A&M Int.).

Todd Kniebbe (Florida Atlantic) made his team debut tossing one and a third scoreless innings allowing just one hit on two strikeouts. Jacob Iverson (Emory & Henry), another one of Winter Garden’s pitchers to be named an all-star, showed why he was selected, punching out five of his six outs he recorded without giving up a hit.

Next

For the Squeeze, they will get a day off Sunday before heading to Orlando Monday for a final match-up against the Snappers. Tuesday night is set for the FCSL All-star game at Sanford Memorial Stadium. First pitch Monday is set for 7 pm EST.

Riley Kelton (Auburn University)