Melbourne, Fla. – Lynn University's baseball team survived 20 innings over two games to earn a split, 4-5, 6-5 at Florida Tech on Saturday. Kyle Wolfe went the distance in game two while Anthony Boza was 5-for-9 with two runs batted in combined in the two games. The Fighting Knights move to 21-18 overall and 5-9 in the Sunshine State Conference.
After going 13 innings in the first game and getting shut out the final seven frames, Lynn's offense woke up in the top of the second of game two. With two outs, Johnny Broderick gave LU its first runner in scoring position with a line drive single into the right center gap, moving Phil Mannelly to third. After Patrick Roedel walked to load the bases Kyle Radzewski snapped the scoreless game with a two-run single up the middle.
Austin Smith continued the two-out rally with an RBI single to left, scoring Roedel, and Mike Diorio drove home Radzewski with a base knock just inside the left field foul line. Boza then cleared the bases with a towering two-run double off the right center field wall to put the Blue & White on top 6-0.
Wolfe (3-5) cruised through much of the game but lost the shutout bid in the sixth with a RBI single by Ryan McChesney. The junior right hander then battled some wildness in the bottom of the seventh, allowing two runs to score off wild pitches and another two via an error. Wolfe struck out four and did not walk a batter over his seven innings pitched.
Game one saw eight errors and four unearned runs scored between the two teams. Florida Tech (25-14, 8-9 SSC) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of a hustle double and sacrifice fly. The Panthers then added two more in the second while another LU error helped FIT make it 3-0.
Phil Mannelly drove in the Knights' first run with a bases loaded single in the top of the fourth and Eric Herrera and Steven Fernandez added run scoring hits to knot the game at three. Lynn was then able to take its first lead in the sixth after Florida Tech's shortstop committed his second error of the game. An infield single by Diorio to the left side would give LU runners on the corners by K.C. Clabough threw the ball away in an attempt to get Diorio at first, allowing Austin Smith to trot across home.
Florida Tech would go on to score its final two runs off of Lynn errors. The first came in the seventh to tie the game at four while a throwing error in the bottom of the 13th with two outs gave the Panthers the 5-4 victory.
The Fighting Knights will look to earn the rubber match victory on Sunday at noon. Fans can follow the action live by logging on to www.LynnFightingKnights.com and selecting "Game Central."
