BOCA RATON, Fla. – A two-run home run by Paul Stortini in the bottom of the eighth capped a three-run comeback and gave Lynn University's 11th-ranked baseball team a 7-6 victory over Saint Leo in the series opener. Mike Diorio also drove in two runs while Austin Smith went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI. Lynn improves to 32-13 overall and 14-6 in the Sunshine State Conference.
With LU trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Cory Elasik opened the frame with a bunt single down the first base line. After picking up his 19th stolen base on the season, the Blue & White were the recipients of a little luck as the Lions' right fielder dropped a routine fly ball and then threw away an attempt to catch Jason Matusik at second, allowing Elasik to slide across home plate.
Matthew Hewitt relived Shawun Gough and proceeded to serve up the go-ahead two-run bomb to Stortini on a 1-1 fastball, putting Lynn on top 7-6. Stortini's shot stayed just inside the left field foul pole for his second home run of the year.
Andre Colon pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, fanning two batters, to pick up his third win. The junior closer issued a lead-off walk in the ninth but struck out Saint Leo clean-up hitter Anthony Santa before Dustin Brown fouled out down the right field line. Diorio then sealed the victory with a diving play to his right, snagging a hard hit ground ball by Brendan Collins and throwing him out at first.
Lynn took advantage of the first of four Lion's errors in the first inning as SLU starter Charles Neely tossed a pick-off attempt into right field, allowing Smith to reach third base. Diorio followed with a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.
Alex Bello made it a 2-0 Fighting Knights advantage in the second after he dropped a squeeze bunt down the first base line, scoring Eric Herrera and advancing Stortini.
Shawn Kale pitched four scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth. With runners on first and second and one out, Kale walked Dillon Vitale to load the bases. Elasik saved a couple of runs with a diving play at third, getting the force out, but Saint Leo (22-21, 5-14) plated the first of three runs in the inning. Kale then hit Michael Revell on a 1-2 pitch and Santa made him pay with a two-run single up the middle.
The senior right-hander ran into more trouble in the seventh, putting three more ducks on the pond with one out. Head coach Rudy Garbalosa was forced to go to the bullpen and Joe Perrotta did a marvelous job getting his team out of the jam, fanning Santa and striking out Brown looking.
Lynn re-took the lead in the home half, 4-3, with back-to-back RBI base hits by Smith and Diorio but the Lions responded immediately with a three-run home run by Chris Newcomb to put Saint Leo back on top, 7-4, in the top of the eighth.
The Blue & White look to take the series over the Green & Gold with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday. Fans can catch the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com by selecting the Game Central icon and receive in-game tweets by following @LUKnights #LUBB.
