Pitching was not the highlight in this offensive onslaught. The scoring started in the first inning
with a Scott Reeves (Daytona State) RBI single for the Monarchs, and they would never look
back. They would pile on a total of six runs in the first three innings, highlighted by a two-RBI
single by Collin Norton (Georgia Gwinnett) in the third. Leesburg was able to bring the score to
6-1 in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly from Robert Dobkowski (Saint Petersburg). The
Monarch offense was back to it in the fourth inning where they scored four more runs with a
few bases loaded walks and a two-RBI single from Michael Ballard (Eckerd), who was only
getting started. After the Thunder brought the score to 10-5 in the bottom of the fifth, Ballard
came back up in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and clubbed a double, plating two
more runs for the Monarchs. They would end up scoring two more that inning on bases loaded
walks to bring the score to 14-5. Logan Alaniz (Westminster) would cap off a three-run seventh
inning for the Thunder with a two-RBI double to keep the game to a respectable 14-8, but the
Monarchs would but the nail in the coffin in the next half inning. Sanford would benefit from a
bases-loaded walk, two run-scoring wild pitches, and RBI singles from Xavier Rosado (Stetson)
and Geovani Sostre (West Virginia Wesleyan) to give the Monarchs a commanding lead at 19-8.
Each team would tally a few more in the last few frames, with the Monarchs ultimately winning
by the score of 21-12. Walks plagued the Leesburg pitching staff in this one, giving up a season
high eighteen, and along with Ballard’s 3-for-4 day with four runs batted in and scored, Sanford
was able to march to victory.