MELBOURNE, Fla. - Lynn baseball fell to Florida Tech in both games of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Panthers defeated the Fighting Knights by scores of 5-2 and 9-5 to drop Lynn's overall record to 7-5-1 and 1-2 in the SSC.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1):
- Florida Tech scored a run in the second inning on a Josh Ford single
- Ford was later thrown trying to score from first on a double after a nice relay play between center fielder Byron Murray, second baseman AJ Orrico and a tag by catcher Peter Avino
- The Panthers added two more runs in the third inning on a Gavin McGowan solo home run and Brett Parrish RBI double to give the home team a 3-0 lead
- The Fighting Knights scored their first run in the top of the fifth after Orrico walked and later scored on a Leon Paulino single
- The Panthers scored two more runs – both unearned – to go up 5-1
- John Rodriguez drove in Deric LaMontagne for the game's final run, as Lynn lost the opener, 5-2
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (GAME 1):
- Marcus Eusebio started for Lynn, tossing six innings while giving up three earned runs and striking out five batters
- Orrico reached base three times and stole his third base of the season
- Paulino recorded a hit and an RBI in his sixth consecutive game
- Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to six games, batting .500 (9-for-18) over the stretch
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2):
- Orrico led off the game with a double and was later driven in by Murray to put Lynn up, 1-0
- David Judge led off the top of the second inning with a solo home run
- After scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning, Florida Tech scored four runs with two outs in the bottom of the third on four singles, two walks and a hit by pitch
- Yuzuki Okamura walked and later scored to cut the Panthers lead to 5-3 in the top of the fourth
- FIT's Roman Samson hit an RBI single to put the home team ahead 6-3
- Lynn drew four base on balls in the top of the fifth, as Rodriguez and Orrico each scored to make it a one run game
- FIT scored on a sac fly in the fifth and a single in the sixth to extend their lead to three, 8-5
- The Panthers tacked on one more run in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 9-5 victory
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (GAME 2):
- Judge recorded his third three-hit game and tallied his third home run of the season
- Orrico went 1-for-3 with a double, two runs and two walks, reaching base in six of his ten plate appearances over the two games
- Okamura went 1-for-2 with two walks and raised his season on-base percentage to .488
- Rodriguez stole his team-leading sixth base of the year
- The Fighting Knights walked 18 times in the three-game series
UP NEXT:
Lynn continues conference play with a weekend three-game set at home against Rollins beginning on Friday, March 3 at 2:00 pm
