LAKELAND, Fla. - The Lynn baseball team showed resilience with a midgame push but could not overcome an early deficit and a late offensive surge by Florida Southern, falling 17-6 in the series opener on Friday evening. The Fighting Knights trimmed the margin to four runs behind a three-run fifth inning and received a late spark from Jackson Tyer's two-run homer, but a nine-run seventh inning by the Mocs proved to be the difference as Lynn dropped game one of the weekend set.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Justin Lopez opened the game with a single and the Fighting Knights loaded the bases in the first, but Florida Southern escaped the early threat
- Florida Southern answered in the bottom half with a three-run home run and later added an unearned run to take a quick 4-0 lead
- The Mocs continued to build momentum in the second, capitalizing on errors and a wild pitch to extend the lead to 6-0
- Florida Southern tacked on two more in the third, using miscues and timely hitting to stretch the advantage to 8-0
- Lynn broke through in the fourth as Amaris Harrison delivered an RBI single to plate Charlie Devito and get the Fighting Knights on the board
- The Fighting Knights mounted their best rally in the fifth, scoring three runs highlighted by an RBI groundout from Ivan Herrera and an RBI single from Luca Arenado to cut the deficit to 8-4
- Both pitching staffs settled in briefly, with Lynn holding Florida Southern scoreless in the fourth through sixth innings
- Florida Southern broke the game open in the seventh, erupting for nine runs on a string of extra-base hits and RBI swings to extend the lead to 17-4
- Jackson Tyer provided a late spark in the eighth with a two-run home run to left field, scoring Joel Tapia-Melo and trimming the margin to 17-6
- Lynn was unable to generate further offense over the final frames as Florida Southern secured the game one win
 
FIGHTING KNIGHT STATS:
- Tyer led the Lynn offense with a two-run home run, finishing 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI
- Harrison recorded a hit and an RBI while reaching base three times with two walks
- Devito paced the lineup with a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk
- Arenado added an RBI single, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk
- Ivan Herrera drove in a run, while Joel Tapia-Melo scored twice and added a double
- Jason Lashley contributed a hit and a run scored, reaching base three times via two walks
- Lopez reached base four times with three walks and a hit, while also swiping a base
- As a team, the Fighting Knights totaled eight hits, six runs, and 13 walks in the contest
- Lynn pitching combined for seven strikeouts, led by Chase Ennis and Alfonso Lombardi with three apiece
 
UP NEXT:
Lynn will square off with Florida Southern two more times on Saturday afternoon as part of a series-closing doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.