ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Eckerd College baseball team fell to No. 6 Lynn University on Friday night at the Turley Athletic Complex, 5-1
The Tritons (19-8, 7-3 SSC) and the Fighting Knights (24-6, 8-2 SSC) entered tonight's game tied for second place in Sunshine State Conference play. Lynn also entered the game ranked nationally in four different publications.
The Fighting Knights struck first in the second inning, beginning with an infield single from senior Sal Giardina. A Matt Ackerman single and a Tritons' throwing error would bring Giardina all the way around the bases.
A
Chris Hanson single, a double from
Mike Vavasis and a sacrifice fly out from
Matt MacMahon knotted the score at one in the Tritons' half of the second inning.
Eckerd starting pitcher
Richard Cruz-Sanchez left Lynn runners in scoring position situations in both the third and fourth innings, working strikeouts to end both frames.
Lynn pushed across the go-ahead and eventual winning run in the fifth off of a single from junior Michael Stemle and an RBI bunt single off the bat of junior Alex Freedman after Stemle stole second and third.
The Fighting Knights tacked on two more runs in the sixth and one more in the ninth to account for the final score.
Junior Bill Mendek entered the game for Lynn in the eighth and tossed two shutout innings and allowed just one hit and struck out two.
LU's Jed Vandernaald improved to 7-1 on the season for the Fighting Knights. Vandernaald tossed seven innings and allowed one run on seven hits and one walk and struck out six.
Cruz-Sanchez took the loss and fell to 1-2 on the year. The right-hander went six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks and struck out four.
Eckerd and Lynn will meet for a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting. The start time for game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Live stats and video will be available on
www.EckerdTritons.com.
