Leesburg, FL- The Winter Garden Squeeze and Leesburg Lightning opened up the Florida Leagues Best of Three Championship Series in front of a packed Pat Thomas Stadium on Saturday night in Leesburg. Coming into this game, Leesburg held the season series advantage over the squeeze, 4-3. However, Winter Garden has played against the Lightning very well aside from a run rule game a few weeks back, we could be look at a very good Championship Series. 

On the mound and getting the start for the Squeeze in Game 1 was Garrett Brewer (Seminole State), Brewer looked real good in this game, keeping the huge Leesburg crowd fairly quiet for all of his outing. Brewer went 5 full innings, gave up 1 run on 4 hits, while walking 3 and fanning 3 as well.  The Lightning sent out their ace and one of the best pitchers in the league in Layton Perry (Jacksonville), Perry did all he could in this one, keeping a scorching Winter Garden offense to just 3 runs on 4 hits when he came out of the game. His final stat line in this one was 5 full innings, 4 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 Walks and 4 strikeouts. 

The Squeeze scored the first run of the Championship Series for either team in the top of the 2nd when Zachary Stokes (West Florida) hit a sacrifice fly into left field that was caught by Tyler Gerteisen (North Florida), extending his glove in the air to save an extra run with runners on 2nd and 3rd base. The runner who was on 3rd was Ian Farrow (Florida Gulf Coast), he would tag up on the fly deep enough to take a 1-0 Squeeze lead. 

Winter Garden added another run to the board in the top of the 4th inning starting with a Todd Clay (Pensacola State) double that hit the left field wall with just 1 out. The Squeeze middle heart of the order continued to come up in the clutch when the next batter, Farrow, smashed another Squeeze extra base hit this time to right center field allowing Clay to score from 2nd base, extending the lead to 2. 

Leesburg scored their first run of the night and the series in the bottom of the 4th inning when Drew Stubbs (Georgia Gwinnet) came up to the plate with the bases juiced and 0 outs. Stubbs hit a sacrifice fly into right center field deep enough for Brooks Bryan (Troy) to tag up from 3rd base and inch a run closer for Leesburg. 

The scoring trend continued in the top of the 5th inning. Winter Garden added another run to their lead when Dalton Robinson (Florida Gulf Coast) stung a ground ball to the first baseman who would go to home trying to get the scoring Stokes from 3rd base, but was unable to do so on a throw in the dirt, giving the 2 run lead back to the Squeeze. 

Brandon Fields (Southeastern) continued to come up clutch for Winter Garden with runners in scoring position in the top of the 6th inning. Fields hit a ground ball to the shortstop who was playing deep with runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs, the shortstop decided to go to 1st base for the force out allowing Clay to score extending the lead to 4-1. 

With a new pitcher in Ryan Slattery (State College Florida), the Lightning put their home crowd right back into this game in the bottom of the 6th when Stubbs collected his 2nd RBI of the day when he hit a single back up the middle scoring Bryan this time from 2nd base inching the Lightning just a tad closer, 4-2. 

Coming into the 9th inning it was all about the pitching and defense in this game for both teams, but that all changed going into the bottom half of the inning. The Squeeze sent out Billy Duby (Undecided) for a save situation attempt and to secure game 1 of this Championship Series. Duby was not able to do so after walking the first 2 batters he saw on 8 straight balls putting runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. The Lightning, down 4-2 at the time, turned to a little bit of small ball to try and move the runners over with a bunt and did exactly that and some thanks to a very well placed one down the 1st base line which loaded up the bases for Leesburg. With the bases loaded and still no outs for Winter Garden, Gabriel Santiago (Coker) stepped up to the plate and hit a ground ball to the second basemen who tried to go to 2nd base for the force out but threw the ball wide of the shortstop covering the bag allowing both Johnnie Lopez (Seminole State) and Riley Fitzgerald (Flagler) to score and tie this game. Of course with baseball being the game it is, this one ended in a way that really does not happen very often. With runners now on 1st and 2nd base Austin Brinling (South Carolina) stole third base and while doing so, drew a wide throw from the catcher that eventually got away from the third baseman, allowing Brinling to score easily and the Lightning to complete the comeback and send Pat Thomas Stadium into a frenzy. 

Leesburg won this game 5-4 in what was a very good game played from both sides. The pitching and defense really overpowered this game with a lot of situational and timely hitting sprinkled in there as well. The Lightning now hold a game advantage up on Winter Garden in the FCSL Championship Series Best of 3 and are 1 win away from clinching the Championship. Game 2 will be on Sunday afternoon with first pitch set for 1:00 PM at Olympia High School, if Leesburg wins it means another trophy for the Lightning. If Winter Garden wins game 2 that means they will have forced a winner take all game 3 back at Pat Thomas Stadium on Monday night. 

Christian Rapoza (Full Sail University)