BOCA RATON, Fla. – Making up a four-run deficit, Lynn University's baseball team held a lead late against 25th-ranked Florida Atlantic University but the Owls put runs on the board in the sixth and seventh innings to pull out a 7-6 victory on Tuesday night.  Jason Matusik and Sal Giardina each went deep for the Fighting Knights while Troy Mannebach struck out five batters in four innings of relief.

It was the Owls bats who came to play early in the match-up as FAU (20-9) scored three runs on six hits over the first two innings of play. Lynn turned to Mannebach in the third and the junior lefty showed a little nerves against the NCAA Division I cross-city rival, allowing one run.  But he settled down after and was able to escape jams in the fourth and fifth frames while earning four strikeouts in the process.

The Fighting Knights frayed the Owls feathers in the third inning on a gutsy call from head coach Rudy Garbalosa and perfect execution from Alex Freedman.  With runners on second and third, two outs and the infield playing back, Garbalosa gave Freedman the bunt sign and the sophomore shortstop delivered.  The next pitch was bunted in-between the mound and first base, allowing Freedman to reach safely while plating both Mike Gonzalez and Cory Elasik.

Florida Atlantic went to its bullpen early and often and Lynn was able to take advantage.  Matusik smashed a towering solo home run off Andrew Archer to make it 5-3 in the fourth.  It was the third home run for the senior first baseman this season.

Gregg Bennis fared even worse in the sixth, despite picking up two quick outs.  He walked Matusik on five pitches and then surrendered a single to Paul Stortini, bringing Giardina to the plate.  Injured and unable to hit from the left side of the plate for much of the year, the junior third baseman was cleared prior to the first pitch of the game and made Bennis pay, knocking a 1-0 fastball over the left center field fence for a three-run shot, his fourth of the year, giving LU a 6-5 lead.

A lead-off double from Brendon Sanger, his fourth hit of the night, and RBI fielder's choice from Mike Spano in the bottom half of the frame tied the game at six.  The Owls then took the lead after a walk and hit batter opened the seventh.  Kyle Butcher saw bases loaded and not outs but allowed just one run to score.

Lynn's middle hitters, Matusik, Stortini and Giardina, combined to go 3-for-8 with four runs and four RBI.  Cory Elasik and Enrique Perez added two hits apiece.

The Fighting Knights are back in action on Friday, April 5, at 3 p.m. when they host Eckerd College in a Sunshine State Conference series.  Fans can catch the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com and receive in-game updates by following @LUKnights on Twitter and Instagram.