Early Explosion Holds Up as Tritons Defeat Lynn

Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. - A blistering start turned out to be highly important for the Eckerd baseball team on Friday as the Tritons held off a late rally by Lynn University to open the weekend series with a 13-10 win.

Eckerd (16-23, 5-8 SSC) torched Lynn starter Donovan Armas and reliever Victor Danza for 10 runs in the first two innings, scoring five in both the first and second frames for a 10-0 lead after two.

Justin Glover capped the first inning with a three-run home run, his fourth of the season, and Mitch Calandra came up big with a bases-loaded double in the second.

However, against a Fighting Knight team that ranks among the nation's leaders in offense, every run was needed.

After Lynn (25-17, 8-11 SSC) scored four runs in the bottom of the third, Daniel Autiello blasted a two-run homer for a 12-3 lead.

The Knights then began to chip away with a solo home run in the fourth and a two-run double in the sixth while the Tritons' bats cooled off.  Glover's sacrifice fly in the seventh brought in Chase Achuff to make it a 13-6 lead.

Lynn answered with four runs in the bottom of the eighth and had the go-ahead run at the plate with two outs when Jack Mahan entered in relief and stranded all three inherited runners by getting Alex Turner to fly out to left.

After EC went quietly in the top of the ninth, the Knights again loaded the bases after a walk, single and hit batter with one out.

But just as he did in the eight, Mahan delivered in the clutch by striking out the next two batters to end the game.

The Tritons ripped a season-high 19 hits in the contest with Autiello's 4-for-5 performance leading the way.  Tom Buonopane, Calandra and Garrett Hiott each had three hits.  Glover and Calandra both drove in four while Autiello had three RBIs.

Dillon McCollough (6-3) won his third straight start and fourth in a row, lasting six innings while allowing six runs and striking out five.  Mahan recorded his third save of the year in a scoreless 1-1/3 innings.

The series wraps up on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM.