Our Player of the game between the Long Island Thunder and Long Island Lightning is Kyle Heiss of the Lightning. Heiss went 3-3 at the plate with a HR and two RBI to help the Lightning win 7-0 and advance to the LICBL Championship. pic.twitter.com/wlPo6VMpbS
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) July 31, 2018
Two of the better teams in the Long Island Collegiate Baseball League squared off Tuesday evening at Adelphi with a trip to the Championship game on the line.
The Long Island Lightning came in as the higher seed over the Long Island Thunder in the LICBL National division, and that order would stand true as the Lightning took care of the Thunder in a 7-0 victory.
For the Thunder, their best chance to put any runs on the board came early in this one as they had their leadoff batter, Nick Rizzo, on third base in the first inning but failed to score him.
The Lightning got the scoring started as Kyle Heiss laced a solo homerun over the left field wall in the bottom of the second to get the Lightning on the board.
After the Thunder couldn’t get anything going for two more innings, Heiss drove in another Lightning run with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Vella came around to score from first giving the Lightning a 2-0 advantage.
The very next batter, Jimmy Mendyk drove in Heiss with an RBI single giving the Lightning a 3-run lead.
In the top of the sixth inning the Thunder threatened to score again. Rizzo lad off with another single but was quickly erased on a double play. Lightning pitcher Mike Demarest gloved the ground ball and was able to turn the 1-6-3 double play. After what felt like the air was taken out the Thunder, they quickly got the next two runners on base but Demarest ended that rally again.
In the bottom of the inning, the Lightning got back to back single with one out from Vella and Heiss and Mendyk was able to reach on a fielding error off a bunt to force the bases loaded. Ryan Kuskowski put the game away on one swing when he drove in all three runners with a triple making it 6-0 Lightning. Tom Papadopoulas added another run with a sacrifice fly to bring home Kuskowski with the seventh run.
The Lightning used three pitchers to combine for their shutout. Connor Hewlette started followed by Demarest who did the bulk of the pitching going four innings, and then AJ Cain who finished the game for them.
On the other side, the Thunder started Mike Lazos, who went the first four innings, followed by Jason Goldstein and Joe Chionchio.
The Lightning will move on to the LICBL Championship on Thursday, August 2.
