Snappers Lose Pivotal Game to Leesburg
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Snappers dropped a pivotal game Thursday night, falling 5-4 to the Leesburg Lightning despite home runs from James Hankerson Jr. and Danny Garcia and another solid outing from starter Ryland Happel.
The loss left Orlando clinging to a half-game lead over the Sanford River Rats for the league's final postseason spot. With two games remaining against Leesburg, the Snappers will need to match or finish ahead of Sanford to qualify for the playoffs.
Happel made his final regular-season start of 2026, allowing three runs over five innings while keeping Orlando in the game.
James Hankerson Jr. delivered Orlando's biggest swing of the night in the third inning, launching a three-run home run to straightaway center field to erase a 3-0 deficit. An inning later, Danny Garcia gave the Snappers their first lead with a solo home run to the opposite field.
Leesburg answered in the sixth, scoring two runs to regain the lead. Orlando was unable to respond, and the score remained 5-4 the rest of the way.
The teams rematch at the same location on Friday night at 7 PM. The crucial game will have massive implications on postseason possibilities for the Snappers.
Theo Shernoff (Michigan)