BOCA RATON, Fla. – There were highs and lows for Lynn University's baseball team in its first January contest since 2002 but the Fighting Knights emerged victorious, 7-6, over St. Thomas (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon.  Ben Schwanburg was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and Michael Stemle collected two runs batted in to help the Blue & White to their ninth consecutive win in home openers.

Lynn is now 9-6 overall in season openers and 12-3 in home openers under head coach Rudy Garbalosa.  The Fighting Knights last played a game in January in 2002 with a loss at nationally-ranked Tampa.  This marks just the sixth game overall played in the month of January for the Blue & White since 1993 and makes the team 1-5 overall.

Starter Travis Connelly was solid in earning the opening day start, tossing four innings while allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.  His lone mistake was a two-out solo home run in the fourth which knotted the game at 1-1.

Reliever Jimmy O'Neill needed an inning to settle down as the senior righty surrendered four runs on two hits, two hit batters and a walk in the fifth inning, putting his team in a 5-1 hole.  The Fighting Knights were able to load the bases with no outs, only to have the Bobcats convert on a third base-home plate-first base double play.

Alex DeBellis kept the frame alive, though, with a full count walk and Lynn would go on to score five two-out runs to grab the lead.  Matt Ackerman followed with a bases loaded walk, Thomas Kain scored on a wild pitch, Kyle Schindler would score after getting hit on a 3-1 fastball and Donovan Christman tied the game at five with a single up the middle.  Stemle then added his second RBI of the day with a bases loaded walk to put Lynn ahead 6-5.

The Fighting Knights were able to add a much needed insurance run in the seventh after John Borup was caught too far off the bag on a double steal.  Fortunately for Lynn, St. Thomas' catcher dropped the ball on the throw home to make it a 7-5 ballgame.

O'Neill would pick up the win on the mound with three strikeouts and four runs on three hits allowed.  Freshman Jonathan Wake showed some promise in his first career appearance but was forced out of the game with the tying run at third.  AJ Falletta induced an inning-ending ground ball from Jerry Downs and Kyle Schindler collected the save with a one-two-three ninth inning.

Schwanburg scored the first run of the game when he drove a 2-1 fastball off the base of the right center wall.  A fantastic bunt by Christman put his teammate in scoring position and Stemle drove him home with a sacrifice fly to right center field.

St. Thomas (0-1) was able to even things up in the fourth on a solo home run.

Both Thomas Kain and Alex DeBellis went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a pair of walks and Matt Tietz was 2-for-4 in his Lynn debut.

The Fighting Knights are back on the diamond on Tuesday, February 3, at 6 p.m. when they travel to West Palm Beach, Fla., to battle Palm Beach Atlantic.  Fans can catch the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com and receive in-game updates by following @Lynn_Knights on Twitter and Instagram.