BOCA RATON, Fla. - Lynn University's softball team defeated Mercyhurst 10-5 in the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at McCusker Sports Complex. The Fighting Knights improve to 4-15 on the season while the Lakers fall to 9-5.
The Lakers took a 3-0 lead with a pair of hits and a pair of walks in the top of the first, but Lynn cut that lead to one after its half of the inning. Brittany Gross led off with a bunt single and advanced to second on Katrina Lavadan's sacrifice bunt. Mandi Brown then walked to put two runners on and with Carisa Cook at the plate Mercyhurst threw two wild pitches as Gross and Brown came around to score.
Mercyhurst would add to its lead with a run the second and third before the Fighting Knights exploded for four runs in the fourth to take a 6-5 lead. With two outs, Megan Mayfield got the rally started with a bunt single. Gross then reached on an error and Lavadan walked to load the bases for Brown. Brown then delivered with a bases clearing double to left center and she later scored the fourth run of the inning on Cook's RBI single to right field.
Now with a one-run lead, Lynn got some extra insurance with another four runs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Marcella Carrozza connected on a single through the right side and with two outs she advanced sixty feet on Mayfield's infield single. The third bunt single by Gross then loaded the bases for Lavadan who drove in Carrozza with an RBI single. After a wild pitch scored Mayfield from third, Brown drove in two more runs with a single up the middle to cap the scoring.
Brown drove in a career-high five runs on two hits and also scored a pair to lead the Knights. Gross had a three-hit game and scored three while Lavadan and Mayfield both had two hits apiece.
In the circle, Kasey Murray received the win allowing just two earnedruns on five hits in five innings of work while striking out five.
The Blue & White are back in action Friday and Saturday when they host Saint Leo in a Sunshine State Conference series. Friday's single game is scheduled for 2:30 pm while the Saturday doubleheader is slated for 1:30 pm. Fans can follow the action by logging onto www.LynnFightingKnights.com and clicking on "Game Central."
