CLEVELAND, Miss - No. 15 Lynn split its doubleheader with Delta State on Saturday, holding on for an 8-7 win in the matinee and losing another close game, 7-6, in the nightcap. Seven of Lynn's 11 games have been decided by one run this season. The Fighting Knights now have an 8-3 record as they head into Sunshine State Conference play next week.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1):
- Shawn Dougherty drove in AJ Orrico and Cole Fowler on a base hit to give Lynn a 2-0 lead after one inning
- The Statesmen got a run on two hits in the bottom of the second inning
- Fowler hit an RBI double in the third inning to put the Fighting Knights up 3-1
- After David Judge was beaned, Dougherty tripled, driving in two
- Peter Avino's sac fly gave Lynn a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the third
- DSU scored two runs in the third but Leon Paulino gunned down a runner trying to score from first on a throw from center to keep the score 6-3
- Orrico walked, stole second and scored on Fowler's single in the fourth
- Starter Bryce Pratt pitched a clean bottom of the fourth, striking out two
- Lynn scored its final run of the game in the top of the fifth when Julio Camarena drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Paulino
- The Statesmen scored four runs over the next three innings via an RBI ground out, a two-run single and a run-scoring base hit
- Joel Hayner pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2):
- Lynn jumped out to a four-run lead in the top of the second inning
- Julio Camarena singled home Peter Avino, Jesse Robinson's triple scored Orrico and Camarena, and Fowler's base hit knocked in Robinson
- Delta State took the lead with a run in the second and a four-spot in the fourth
- Lynn regained the lead in the fifth when Paulino tripled to drive in Fowler and Paulino later scored on a passed ball to make the score 6-5, Lynn
- The Statesmen tied the game on a ground out in the seventh
- With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, a double was proceeded by a single to walk it off for the Statesmen
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Fowler went 4-for-10 with two runs and three RBI over the two games
- Paulino scored three times on the day
- Dougherty's 4 RBI in game one were his most in a game in a Lynn uniform
- Every Fighting Knight recorded a hit in game two
- Matt Tiberia pitched 2.1 no-hit innings in game two
UP NEXT:
- Lynn travels to St. Petersburg for its SSC opener against Eckerd on Friday, Feb. 23 at 6:00 pm