BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Lynn University baseball team opened the 2026 campaign Friday afternoon at home, battling Wingate at the Lynn Baseball Field. The Fighting Knights showed early fight with back-to-back-to-back hits from Scout Simpson and Justin Lopez and an RBI single from Bryant Zayas to even the score in the first inning, while Jason Lashley later added an RBI double in the eighth. Lynn's bullpen also turned in several scoreless frames, but Wingate used a big second inning and late insurance to secure a 9-2 decision.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Wingate struck first in the top of the first, taking advantage of an early Lynn error and a bases-loaded walk to grab a 1-0 lead
- The Fighting Knights answered right away in the bottom half as Simpson and Lopez opened with back-to-back singles
- Zayas delivered the immediate response, shooting an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1
- Wingate's offense broke through in the second inning, using a string of walks and a bunt single to load the bases before a grand slam pushed the Bulldogs in front 6-1
- Ryan DiMaggio exited after the big inning, with Chase Wills coming on in relief to settle things down
- Lynn looked to generate momentum in the middle frames but was held scoreless from the second through the seventh as Wingate pitching kept the Fighting Knights in check
- Defensively, Lynn limited further damage for several innings, highlighted by working out of traffic in the fourth, fifth, and seventh
- The Blue and White threatened in the seventh when Lashley walked and Jackson Tyer later singled to put runners aboard, but Lynn couldn't break through
- In the eighth, Lynn finally found a spark as Lopez singled and Lashley ripped an RBI double into left-center to cut the deficit to 6-2
- With the tying run still on deck, Wingate escaped the inning and maintained control heading into the ninth
- The Bulldogs added insurance in the top of the ninth, plating three more runs on a hit-by-pitch RBI and a two-run single to extend the margin to 9-2
- Lynn made one last push in the bottom of the ninth as Simpson doubled into the gap, but Wingate closed out the opener to secure the win
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Simpson paced the offense, going 2-for-5 with a double and scoring one run
- Lopez finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and a single to help set the table at the top of the order
- Zayas drove in Lynn's first run with an RBI single in the opening inning
- Lashley delivered Lynn's lone extra-base RBI hit, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double and drawing a walk
- Lynn totaled seven hits, including two doubles, and left 10 runners on base
- Jake Warnock added 2.0 shutout innings, striking out three while working through traffic
- Chase Ennis pitched the final 2.0 innings, recording two strikeouts
- DiMaggio took the loss in the opener after Wingate scored six runs in the second inning

UP NEXT:
The Fighting Knights are right back in action tomorrow for a Saturday in the park doubleheader against Cal State East Bay at 12 pm.