Livingston, Ala.- It was a win-or-go-home situation for Lynn baseball after falling to Nova Southeastern, 8-1, in the first game of the NCAA South Region Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Fighting Knights did just that on Friday as they scored 16 runs on 14 hits for a 16-4 win over Albany State, eliminating the SIAC automatic qualifier from the tournament. Lynn improves to 35-14-1 overall and 1-1 in the postseason while the Golden Rams' season ends at 20-34.

Robert Guarnieri earned the first postseason start of his career where he threw eight innings allowing just four runs on six hits while striking out five batters. Alex DeBellis drove in a team-best four runs going two-for-two at the plate with a pair of doubles. Matt Ackerman led the team in hits with four as he tallied three RBI and scored two runs.

Albany State lit up the scoreboard first on an RBI ground out by Terrence Wor that scored Ryan Latner for a 1-0 lead. DeBellis' first of two RBI doubles came in the top of the third inning scoring Thomas Kain and John Borup for a 2-1 lead. The senior catcher then stole third and scored on a throwing error by the Golden Rams for a 3-1 advantage.

Latner doubles down the right field line to once again bring the game within one, with the Blue & White on top, 3-2, through the first three innings. DeBellis doubled again in the top of the fourth for a 5-2 lead that would hold until the Fighting Knights punched out six runs on four hits in the next frame.

A five-run seventh inning for the Blue & White put the victory in reach as Guarnieri continued to deal on the mound. In his final inning of work Albany State plated two runs on two hits to end his day with a career-high eight innings pitched allowing just four runs.

Alex Caballero threw a scoreless ninth inning in relief fanning one batter and allowing no hits to seal the victory.

Guarnieri improves to an undefeated 5-0 on the season while collecting his first postseason victory. Ackerman, DeBellis and Matt Tietz all recorded multi-hit games while Kain and Michael Stemle reached base on balls three times apiece and Schwanberg lead the team with four walks.

Latner was the only Golden Ram to have a multi-hit game going two-for-three with one RBI and two runs scored. Six ASU pitchers saw time on the mound while Cullen Coult was credited with the loss after earning the start and allowing three earned runs on four hits in just two and a third innings pitched.

Lynn awaits to see who it will face depending on the other South Region games still left to be player this afternoon at Tartt Field on the campus of West Alabama. Fans can check back to LynnFightingKnights.com for the updated schedule by Friday night.

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