BOCA RATON, Fla.- Lynn University's eighth-ranked baseball team snapped a five-game losing streak with a 9-6 win over Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday afternoon. The second game of the originally scheduled doubleheader was postponed due to rain with no reschedule date leaving the Fighting Knights with a 34-14 overall record with NCAA Tournament hopes in their future.
Alex Debellis led the Blue & White's offense going 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored with a double and his third home run of the season. Kyle Butcher earned the win on the mound for his second win of the season when he came in during the seventh inning to relief Lynn's starter, Travis Connelly.
Sal Giardina drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the second inning for Lynn in a scoreless ballgame. That's when Debellis hit a bomb over the right centerfield fence to give the Fighting Knights a 2-0 lead. Mike Gonzalez singled up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by the next batter, Matt Ackerman. Lefran then sent a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence colliding with the scoreboard. The Sailfish were able to escape the inning when Michael Stemle was caught stealing third after reaching on a double down the right field line.
PBA scored one run in the fourth to trail 4-1 but it was the fifth inning that could cause trouble for Connelly on the mound. After allowing three runs on four hits and an error by the Blue & White's second baseman, Connelly got out of the inning with the game tied 4-all. He stranded two on base after a brief talk with Head Coach Rudy Garbalosa.
Lynn added a run in the sixth on a double down the right field line by Lefran for the Fighting Knights to take a 5-4 lead but PBA answered back with a pair of runs when Joel Butchko hit a two-run home run to left field off of Connelly to end his day. With two outs in the seventh and Lynn trailing 6-5, Butcher came on in relief to strike Ryan Drew out looking.
The Blue & White rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs on three hits and an error by the Salfish's starting pitcher, Alex Greener. The Fighting Knights added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Perez singled through the right side and scored Stemle.
After facing just one batter in the eighth inning, was taken out of the game due to abdominal pain. Andrew Melchor came in to close out the game striking out three batters over two innings of work for his eighth save of the season.
Connelly fanned seven over six and two thirds innings despite the no-decision. PBA's Greener was hit with the loss to finish the season 0-9 on the mound.
The lightning horns sounded and the sky closed in at the conclusion of the first game but after a 30 minute delay, it was agreed upon to cancel the final game of the three-game non-conference series.
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