BOCA RATON, Fla. – A furious ninth-inning rally was squashed in Lynn University baseball's 3-1 loss to seventh-ranked Franklin Pierce on Wednesday.  Austin Smith went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored the teams only run while four pitchers held the Raven's hitless in four innings of relief.  The Fighting Knights drop to 13-10 on the season.

Trailing 3-0 and managing just two hits heading into their final three outs, the Blue & White came alive against Franklin Pierce starter Gregg Downing.  Smith lined a 0-2 fastball down the left field line to begin the potential rally and was followed by a pinch hit single through the left side by Wes Soto.

Quickly going to their closer Rob Nicholas, the Ravens got Anthony Boza and Dane Derstine out but Richie McVey slapped a single to right field, scoring Smith and putting the tying run on first base.  Unfortunately for LU, Franklin Pierce first baseman Zach Mathieu made a diving play on an Eric Herrera ground ball and beat the Knights' third baseman in a foot race to the bag to end the game.

Collin McGowan (0-3) started on the hill for Lynn, going five innings and allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts.  Franklin Pierce got to the Knights' starter in the third inning when Mike Dowd put FP on top 2-0 with a bases loaded single just inside the first base line.  Isaac Wenrich later added the third run with a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the fifth.  McGowan, however, got himself out of a trouble later in the frame with a strikeout and weak ground ball to end the threat.

Sam Jones entered in the sixth with a runner on second and fanned the first two Ravens before inducing an inning-ending single by Dan Kemp.  Kyle Wolfe, Jason Whelan and Shawn Kale followed with an innings worth of work each, holding the Franklin Pierce bats at bay while Kale struck out the side in the top of the ninth.

Dowling picked up the win after surrendering one run on four hits with seven K's in eight innings of work.

The Fighting Knights hit the road for a three-game series at Tampa beginning on Friday, March 18, at 6 p.m. and concluding with a 1 p.m. Saturday double-header.  Fans can follow the action live by logging on to www.LynnFightingKnights.com and selecting "Game Central."