BOCA RATON, Fla. – Even though it was senior day for Lynn University's baseball team, it was the juniors who helped save the day as they won their fifth Sunshine State Conference series of the year. The Fighting Knights dropped the first game of the double-header 12-8 but rallied back to win game two 5-4 to close out the season 26-23 overall and 10-14 in the SSC.
Junior Austin Smith was nearly unstoppable in the double-header, going 6-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Fellow third-year player Alex Bello also proved to be a tough out with a 6-for-9 day at the plate with three runs and two RBI.
The second game was filled with tension from the get-go. Starters Shawn Kale for LU and Sean Tighe for NSU combined to surrender one hit with four strikeouts in the first three innings. It was a two-out double by Andrew Durden that snapped the scoreless tie and put the Sharks on top. AJ Regoli made it 2-0 a batter later.
Lynn managed to go on top 3-2 in the fifth when Smith, Bello and junior Anthony Boza each drove in runs with base hits but two runs by the Sharks in the sixth made it a 4-3 contest.
With potential All-SSC Pitcher of the Year Sean Albury on the mound looking for his 10th save, LU began its comeback. Kyle Radzewski opened the bottom of the seventh with a single and gave way to pinch runner Leo Carrillo, who stole second and advanced to third on a poor throw by NSU's catcher. Bello tied it up with a single and raced across the diamond and beat a throw home when Boza laced a double inside the third base line for the game-winner.
Fireworks could be seen by NASA with the offensive punch of both teams through the first four innings of play in game one. Nova and Lynn scored 18 runs on 16 hits, with eight going for extra bases.
The Sharks struck first, netting three runs in the opening inning courtesy of a Regoli three-run home run. Lynn responded with three runs in its half of the frame as Boza and Steven Fernandez drove in runs.
Three doubles by NSU put three more runs on the board while a home run by Carlos Asuaje in the third made it a 10-3 Sharks lead. The Knights never gave up, closing the gap to two runs with a five-run fourth. Bello jumpstarted the offense with a lead-off double and made it the extra 90 feet off of Radzewski's single to left field. Smith then cleared his two teammates with a triple down the right field line. A Sharks' error added a fourth run while Boza capped the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Unfortunately for LU, it's offense could not muster any more against the NSU bullpen. Torey Ekey and Albury scattered three hits with five strikeouts in three innings. Lynn's relief core of Jason Whelan and Ryan Digiose also did a fantastic job silencing the Sharks' bats, allowing five hits and one earned run over 6.1 innings.
The Fighting Knights post their ninth 26-win season under head coach Rudy Garbalosa.
