Even the weather couldn’t keep the Leesburg Lightning from repeating as Florida Collegiate Summer League champions and keeping the Whiting Cup in Lake County for another year.
Oddly enough, both games of the Best-of-3 Championship Series were actually decided in the first inning as the Lightning took a 4-2 lead after the first inning of Game 1 in Leesburg on Saturday and cruised to a 7-2 victory and then scored three runs in the top of the first inning on Sunday, after the game started nearly 2-hours after the scheduled starting time, in DeLand and held on for a 3-2, series-clinching victory.
"That was really, really big," Lightning Head Coach Rich Billings stated when talking about the early innings. "And, you know, I think more than anything, it helped Tyler Donay (Leesburg’s Game 1 starter) relax a little bit after giving up two runs in a tough first inning. But our hitters did a great job just coming right out and just punching them right in the mouth after we got hit. You know, they could've stayed down and they didn't. They punched right back. Ryan Jenkins had a great at bat, and Orlando Pena came up and just got a huge hit for us in the first inning like he's done so many times. So, yeah, that was a huge weight off the shoulders there.”
The Championship was a record-tying fifth for Leesburg in the 21-year history of the FCSL, tying the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs and the Sanford River Rats for the most in league history. This is also the first title won by the Lightning in an even year, having won every other title in an odd season.
The title also signifies the first back-to-back championship in the FCSL since the 2013-2014 season, when the Winter Park became the first to win consecutive titles in the league's history.
This was the fifth consecutive season that Leesburg has appeared in the Championship Series, with the Lightning winning three of the last four, and was also the third title for Billings.
Saturday’s Game 1 on Buddy Lowe Field at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg started out like the Suns were going to put the game away early, as the first five batters reached base, unfortunately, there was a caught stealing during the run and DeLand would only score two runs on an Nathan Cannizaro RBI single and an Anthony Gonzalez RBI grounder that turned into an inning-ending double play when a runner was thrown out attempting to move over to third base.
The hosts responded immediately with a hit batter, a Riley Fitzgerald double, an RBI infield single from Logan Chapman, a game-tying sacrifice fly by Michael Furry and a two-out, two-run single by Pena.
Donay would settle down and give the Lightning 4.2 innings of work on the mound, almost throwing four scoreless innings after the rocky first inning.
Leesburg would tack on some insurance with two runs in the second and another in the seventh.
Justin Gay and Evan Loeser would help the Lightning out tremendously out of the bullpen, throwing 4.1 innings of hitless baseball and not allowing a run.
For most of the day on Sunday it looked as if Game 2 would not be played as heavy rain and strong thunderstorms moved across the area.
But the weather finally cleared around 6 p.m. and the DeLand grounds crew was able to get the Melching Field playing surface at Conrad Park ready for an 8:32 start.
And just like Game 1, it was the visitors that came out hot.
Gabriel Santiago led off with an infield single and Fitzgerald followed with a single to right before Chapman, who would be named the Championship Series Most Valuable Player, launched an RBI double to left.
Jordy Oriach then had an RBI grounder to first and Flurry added another Sac Fly to right for what proved to be the game-winning run.
With the lead in hand, Lightning starter Jace Trautner held the Suns to two hits over the first five innings, striking out six batters.
DeLand would mount a challenge in the sixth inning as, with one out, Gavin Thomas walked and moved up to second on a single by Gonzalez. On a double steal, a throwing error by Trautner allowed Thomas to score and after a ground out, Mathew Farner ripped an RBI single to left, cutting the Suns deficit to 3-2, and bringing on Nick Vieira (UCF), who would carry the Lightning home to the league title, allowing two hits and no runs over 3.1 innings, striking out seven batters and walking none.
"It's a pretty historical thing, and just being able to do this, it's pretty special," said Billings. "Yeah, that's kind of what we talked about at the end. I mean, not only to accomplish what they accomplished, to win a championship, but to do it with so much class, uh, that's what these guys did. I mean, they did it all summer long. They never were mouthy or arrogant. They just showed up every day and competed. They left it on the field and they were the same. Whether they got beat or whether they won, they still handled themselves with so much class and character. So I was just so proud of them for that.”
Here are the results from the FCSL Postseason:
POSTSEASON
Play-In Game
Monday, July 22
No. 4 River Rats 9, No. 5 Snappers 6.
Semifinals (Best-of-3)
Tuesday, July 23
No. 4 River Rats 7, No. 1 Lightning 2, Sanford leads 1-0.
No. 3 Suns vs. No. 2 Squeeze, Rain.
Wednesday, July 24
No. 1 Lightning 22, No. 4 River Rats 3, 7-innings, series tied 1-1.
No. 3 Suns vs. No. 2 Squeeze, suspended.
Upcoming Schedule:
Thursday, July 25
No. 3 Suns 6, No. 2 Squeeze 4, continued from Wednesday, Suns lead 1-0.
No. 3 Suns 5, No. 2 Squeeze 2, Suns wins series 2-0.
No. 1 Lightning 5, No. 4 River Rats 4, 10-innings, Lightning win series 2-1.
Friday, July 26
No games scheduled.
Championship (Best-of-3)
Saturday, July 27
No. 1 Lightning 7, No. 3 Suns 2, Lightning lead series 1-0.
Sunday, July 28
No. 1 Lightning 3, No. 3 Suns 2, Lightning win series 2-0.
Go to _ www.floridaleague.com _ for more information.
* Leesburg Director of Communications Dylan Spaulding (University of South Florida) and DeLand Director of Communications Dylan Stanley (Dordt University) contributed to this story.
