Columbus, Ga. – Lynn University's softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday night at Cougar Field in the second day of the Hughston Sports Clinic Classic.  The Fighting Knights fell 14-4 to Columbus State and then lost 8-3 to No. 2 North Georgia and are 2-4 overall.

Game 2 Recap

Despite outhitting the Saints, Lynn came up short against the second ranked team in the country leaving seven runners on base.  In a very exciting pitchers duel, Sarah Phillips, the reigning National Pitcher of the Year got the upper hand on Callie Darlin with both giving up just one earned run. 

Darlin went six innings and allowed eight hits while Phillips pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out six.  Darlin also helped her own cause going 3-3 at the plate with a double.

Lynn had its first opportunity in the second inning as Darlin doubled and advanced to third on Kasey Murray's sac bunt.  Next up was Carisa Cook and some confusion occurred as Callie Darlin scored on a passed ball.  Unfortunately after much debate, they ruled the ball hit Cook and sent Darlin back to third.  Phillips was able get the next two outs to stop the threat.

The very next inning Lynn threatened again as Gross led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch.   Katrina Lavadan then laid down a sac bunt to get Gross to advance to third but Phillips one again got the next two batters to ground out.

In the fourth, Darlin and Murray singled to lead off the inning but the Knights again were unable to convert.

After stranding six runners on base through the first four innings, Lynn finally capitalized in the fifth with a run.  With two outs and two strikes on Brown, head coach Mandy Harris called time to talk to her shortstop.  On the very next pitch, Brown smoked a heater over the left field fence for the home run and gave the Fighting Knights a 1-0 lead.

The Saints would get two runs on two hits and an error in their half of the fifth to take to take the lead and then exploded for six runs on five hits and two Lynn miscues in the sixth to take a 8-1 lead. 

Down by seven in the seventh, Gross got on board with her second infield single of the game and Lavadan smacked the first pitch over the fence in right center for a homer.  Unfortunately that was all the Knights could muster in their final at bat and fell 8-3.

Game 1 Recap    

Columbus State scored in every inning and went up 7-0 after the top of the second.  The Knights would fight back, however, and scored a pair of runs to cut the lead to five.  Callie Darlin led off the inning with a single and advanced to second as Carisa Cook singled to right.  Marcella Carrozza then walked to load the bases for Megan Mayfield who grounded out but drove in Darlin.  Brittany Gross then reached on an error by the third baseman with two outs as Cook scored on the play for the second run.

The Cougars would get four more in the third and one in the fourth to take a 12-2 lead.  Once again, the Knights would get two more back, this time on a two-run double by Katrina Lavadan which scored Gross and Mayfield who both singled earlier in the inning.

After allowing two more to score in the top of the fifth, Lynn had an opportunity in its half of the inning to advance the game further but went down in order.

Gross had two hits in the game while Lavadan and Mayfield drove in three of Lynn's four runs to pace the offense for the Knights.

The Blue & White are back in action tomorrow when they take onMiles College and North Georgia in the final day of the Hughston Sports Clinic Classic.  LU takes on the Bears at 9 am and the Saints at 1 pm.  Fans can follow the action at www.LynnFightingKnights.com and clicking on "Game Central."