Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.—Lynn University's softball team fell in both game of a doubleheader to the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish in a 1-0 walk-off heart-breaker in game one then lost 9-0 in the second game on Wednesday.
Vicky Naginsky and Lauren Garceau both collected two hits for Lynn (2-41) as they both posted a single and a double.
Missy Montgomery received the starting nod for Lynn and tossed a perfect two innings including an efficient six pitch second inning.
The Sailfish looked to take the first lead of the game in the fourth inning after a leadoff bunt single then a stolen base. After a sac bunt moved the runner to third, Montgomery struck out the next batter and forced a pop out to Lauren Garceau at short to end the threat.
The first hit for Lynn came in the bottom of the third when Garceau lifted a ground rule double to left field with two outs. Kaci Vassallo then looped a ball to center that was caught on a dive from the PBA center fielder to end the inning and leave Garceau stranded on second.
In the bottom of the seventh with the game in a scoreless tie, Montgomery retired the first batter of the inning before loading the bases with two hits and a walk. PBA's next batter grounded a ball to Garceau at short. Garceau threw home in time to retire the runner but Marianne Johnson's foot was off the plate allowing the winning run to score and end the game.
The first game only saw a total of five combined hits, three from PBA and two from Lynn in the form of a single and a double from Garceau.
Montgomery tossed six and a third innings with no earned runs and gave up only three hits.
In game two, the Sailfish jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first on three walks and a pair of wild pitches from Lynn starter Kasey Murray. Murray started the inning with back-to-back walks then rebounded with a struck out. After two wild pitches and another walk, PBA closed out the inning up 2-0 over the Fighting Knights.
Palm Beach Atlantic then added three runs in the second on two walks and three singles to grab a 5-0 tilt over the Fighting Knights.
In Lynn's half of the third, Naginsky, Christina Carvatta, and Bianca Savulak all posted one-out singles to load the bases for Garceau. Garceau rolled a grounder to short and Naginsky was forced out at home. Then PBA's second baseman made a leaping catch to retire Vassallo and end the Lynn threat.
The Sailfish added another run in the third to go up 6-0. In the top of the fourth, Murray collected a two-out infield single to bring Naginsky to the plate. Naginski ripped a double to the right center field fence but Murray was thrown out at home on the play.
PBA added another three runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Blue & Whtie with a 9-0 tilt.
Murray went 1.2 innings with two hits, five earned runs and two strikeouts. Montgomery entered the game in relief of Murray and went 2.1 with eight hits, four earned runs, and one strikeout.
The Fighting Knights pick back up with Sunshine State Conference play in their next action on Friday, April 20, against the Barry Buccaneers. The first game of the three game series starts Friday, at 6 p.m. Fans can listen to the action live on the Fighting Knights Network by clicking on the Game Central icon at LynnFightingKnights.com.
