WINTER PARK, Fla. – The Lynn University baseball team was tripped up on Friday night, falling 5-4 to Rollins College in the first of a three-game Sunshine State Conference series.  

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Rollins 5, Lynn 4  

Records: Rollins (18-13, 4-6 SSC), Lynn (18-13, 7-3 SSC)

Location: Alfond Stadium | Winter Park, Fla.

All-Time Series: Rollins leads 40-34-1

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HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Ryan Donovan and Tyler Curtis each doubled in the second inning to give the Fighting Knights a 1-0 advantage.
• John Silviano opened the fourth with his SSC-best 13th home run of the year. Four batters later, Curtis sent a two-run shot over the wall in right to expand the Lynn lead to 4-0.
• Rollins third baseman Grant Ashline drew a walk to begin the home sixth and eventually came in to score on a sac fly from first baseman Mike Purcell.
• The Tars scratched across two more runs a frame later, chasing Lynn starter Frank Grandinette.
• Southpaw Rigo Beltran was summoned out of the bullpen, but a two-run home run from Tyler Fairbanks tied the game at 4-4 before the inning ended.
• Shortstop Isaiah Russell doubled to begin the bottom of the ninth and moved over to third on a bunt single by Ashline.
• Lynn second baseman Tyler Curtis was forced to put the bunt in his pocket, but a heads up play caught Russell rounding third and put the Fighting Knights an out away from forcing extra innings.
• After Ashline stole second, right fielder Tyler Fairbanks singled to right center, plating the winning run.

STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Grandinette gave the Fighting Knights 6.2 innings on the mound, allowing three runs on 11 hits while fanning five.
• Beltran took the loss for the Blue and White, dropping to 3-2 on the year.
• Donovan and Curtis combined to go 4-for-7 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored.
• Fairbanks sparked the Rollins offense with a 4-for-5 effort, driving in three runs along the way.
• Tar starter Brian Auerbach turned in a quality start, pitching into the eighth inning and whiffing eight Fighting Knights.
• Mike Gaughan was the first man out of the Rollins bullpen and overcame a hit and a walk to record an unblemished frame.
• Matt Hendricks earned the win after tossing just six pitches.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Friday marked the first time this season that the Fighting Knights have lost a conference road game.
• Grandinette tossed less than 100 pitches on Friday, his first SSC start without hitting the century mark.

UP NEXT

Lynn and Rollins wrap up the regular season series on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 10:30 am.