Winter Park, Fla- Along with the handful of double plays on offense, the defense also committed three errors which all contributed to runs scoring for Winter Park. The pitching staff was the bright spot as they allowed just one earned run and three walks.  

First inning struggles continued for Leesburg with an error at first base leading to that run eventually coming around to score on a single, giving the Diamond Dawgs a 1-0 lead.

After the 1st, starting RHP Austin Peddycoart (Southeastern U) began to settle in, tossing two more scoreless frames, allowing just 3 hits before running into trouble in the middle innings. 

New addition, RHP Ryan Furey came on to try and get out of the bases loaded jam with no outs in the 4th. The righty would induce a ground ball to first that 1B James Strom (Southeastern U) delivered home for the first out. After stepping on the plate, C Nicholas Wrubluski (Webster U) caught the runner at third drifting too far off the base and got the second out after a successful rundown. Furey then got a popup to escape the jam without surrendering a run. 

Leesburg had a chance in the 6th with two on and one out, but a 5-3 double play ended the inning and crushed any hopes of bringing home a run.

In the bottom of the inning, Winter Park picked up another run after a fielding error in left field allowed a run to score, extending the lead to 2-0.

The offense failed to put more than two runners aboard in an inning after the 6th with their first runner reaching third base in the 9th. 

Winter Park put up a crooked number in the 7th after two runs scored from a throwing error at short trying to get the out at home. A sacrifice fly then extended the Diamond Dawgs lead to 5-0 heading into the 8th. 

Despite getting both leadoff batters aboard in the last two frames, the Lightning offense failed to bring around a run. Leesburg suffered its first shutout loss of the season and are now 15-11 on the summer. 

The Lightning will try to force a rubber match with a win on Friday, July 11 against the Diamond Dawgs at home. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Pat Thomas Stadium. 

 
Vic Maslia (Syracuse University)