ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Lynn University baseball team powered its way to its first Sunshine State Conference victory of the season on Saturday, erupting for 15 runs in the opener to defeat Eckerd before dropping the series finale later in the day. The split moves the Fighting Knights to 10-13 overall and 1-5 in SSC play, highlighted by a dominant offensive performance in Game 1 that featured 17 hits and an eight-run fourth inning to secure the conference win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game #1):
- Eckerd struck first in the opening inning with an RBI single to left center that plated the game's first run and gave the Tritons an early 1-0 lead
- The Fighting Knights answered in the second as Cole Beck launched a solo home run to right center before Bruce Thornton doubled down the left-field line to score Amaris Harrison, putting Lynn in front 2-1
- Lynn extended the advantage in the third when Scout Simpson came around to score on a Beck RBI groundout before Harrison delivered an RBI double to center to plate Jason Lashley, making it 4-1
- The Fighting Knights broke the game open in the fourth inning with an eight-run explosion
- Simpson drove in a run with a single, Lashley added a sacrifice fly, Joel Tapia-Melo recorded an RBI single and Jackson Tyer highlighted the inning with a three-run double as Lynn surged ahead 12-1
- The Tritons responded in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run home run to right center, trimming the deficit to 12-5
- Eckerd continued to chip away in the sixth inning with an RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly to pull within five runs at 12-7
- Lynn added insurance in the eighth when Harrison singled to right field to score pinch runner Nick Petrelli, extending the Fighting Knights' lead to 13-7
- The Blue and White tacked on two more in the ninth as Bryant Zayas doubled to left center to score Tyer before Simpson followed with an RBI single to bring home Zayas and cap the scoring at 15-7
- Pitcher Zackary Gonzalez retired the Tritons in order in the ninth to seal the victory
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (Game #1):
- Tyer paced the Lynn offense with a 3-for-5 performance, scoring three runs and driving in three RBIs, highlighted by a three-run double during the Fighting Knights' eight-run fourth inning
- Harrison delivered a big day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs
- Simpson added three hits, finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base
- Beck launched a solo home run and finished 1-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored
- Zayas went 2-for-6 with a double, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base
- Lopez recorded a 2-for-5 day with a run scored and a walk, reaching base three times for the Blue and White
- Thornton chipped in with a double and an RBI, while Tapia-Melo added an RBI knock and a sacrifice bunt
- As a team, the Fighting Knights collected 17 hits, including five doubles and a home run, while scoring 15 runs in the victory
- On the mound, Seth Bass earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings, while Zackary Gonzalez secured the save after tossing three shutout innings with three strikeouts to close the game

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HOW IT HAPPENED (Game #2):
- The Fighting Knights jumped out to an early lead in the opening inning as Zayas doubled to center to score Lopez before Lashley blasted a two-run home run to right field, giving Lynn a quick 3-0 advantage
- Eckerd responded in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run and an RBI single, trimming the Fighting Knight lead to 3-2 after one
- Lynn added on in the third when Lopez launched a solo home run to left center, and later Tapia-Melo drove in a run with a single through the right side to extend the margin to 5-2
- The Tritons chipped away in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to make it a 5-3 contest
- Lynn pushed across another run in the fifth after Scout Simpson reached on an error, stole second and later scored on a fielder's choice from Amaris Harrison, increasing the lead to 6-3
- After several scoreless frames, Eckerd surged in the seventh inning with three home runs in the frame, turning a three-run deficit into a 9-6 lead
- The Tritons continued to add insurance in the eighth with two more runs on a fielder's choice and a wild pitch to stretch the advantage to 11-6.
- Lynn threatened in the ninth with a pair of baserunners but was unable to mount a comeback as Eckerd secured the 11-6 victory in the series rubber-match
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS (Game #2):
- Zayas led the Lynn offense with a 3-for-5 performance, adding a double, two runs scored and an RBI
- Lopez went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, an RBI and a walk, reaching base three times
- Lashley provided an early spark with a two-run home run, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored
- Tapia-Melo contributed two hits and an RBI, going 2-for-4 at the plate
- Ivan Herrera recorded a 2-for-4 day with a walk and a stolen base, reaching base three times for the Fighting Knights
- Harrison drove in a run and added a walk and stolen base, while Simpson reached base twice with two walks and a stolen base
- As a team, the Fighting Knights finished with 10 hits and five walks, including two home runs and a double in the contest
- On the mound, Mason Tinsley turned in the longest outing for Lynn, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) with three strikeouts
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn returns home next weekend to host Florida Tech in a three-game SSC series with the opener set for Friday at 3:00 pm.