By: Michael Demyan
Lynn softball seniors (from left) Madison White, Sara Vazquez, Katelyn Key and Leanne Wright with the team. Photo Credit: Lynn Athletic Communications
The Lynn University Fighting Knights baseball and softball teams were able to win their final home games of the season Saturday after honoring their departing seniors.
Both teams played doubleheaders, with the baseball team losing against Eckerd 5-4 before taking the victory in game two by a score of 10-5. The softball team swept Florida Tech by scores of 9-2 and 2-0.
The games were the last appearances at home for twelve seniors, who were recognized before the first pitch as a part of Senior Day.
For the softball team, Florida Tech’s Hailey Leonard led off with a double and looked to score on a base hit from Katie Maiella, but she was called out at the plate after a strong throw from right fielder Madison White.
“I knew that this was our last home game and that run couldn’t score in the beginning, so I had to get her out,” White said.
Lynn’s offense came alive in the second after Shayle Arenson reached on a dropped fly ball, which led to four runs scored in the inning. Victoria Rios extended their lead to 6-1 in the fifth with a two-run homer.
A solo home run from Makayla Palmer in the sixth inning brought Florida Tech within four, but the Fighting Knights added three runs in the bottom half to take the win.
Senior starting pitcher Katelyn Key (4-4) went the distance and allowed only one earned run while striking out three. Amanda Kahn (7-6) took the loss. Lynn senior hitters White and Sara Vazquez both had good games with White hitting two doubles and Vazquez stealing her 30th career stolen base.
In the second game, pitcher Kayla Sheffield made quick work of Florida Tech in the top of the first with a 1-2-3 inning. She then helped out the team on the offensive side with a solo home run to right center, which gave Lynn a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. The second and final run for the Fighting Knights came in the bottom of the fourth off a single by Erin Sundook.
Sheffield (8-4) took care of the rest as she went on to shut down Florida Tech (26-25) for the complete game shutout. She only allowed two hits and lowered her season ERA to 2.06.
The wins pushed their season record to 26-19, which is the most wins for the program since they went 35-19-1 in 2004.
“We’ve all come together and we just really wanted to win for everybody and see how far we can go this year,” senior outfielder Leanne Wright said.
The eight seniors on the Lynn baseball team with head coach Rudy Garbalosa. Photo Credit: Lynn Athletic Communications
The baseball team quickly made a statement in the first game of their doubleheader against Eckerd with two-out back-to-back home runs from seniors Tyler Curtis and Karl Ellison. They went on to load the bases after a single and two hit batters before pitcher Alex Moore forced home a run on his third consecutive hit batter. Moore settled down however and only allowed one batter to reach base through the next four innings.
Eckerd came back to tie the game at three with a rally in the fifth and took the lead 4-3 in the seventh on a Nick Conti leadoff home run. Senior Jonathan Corbitt answered back with a leadoff home run in the bottom half, but Conti hit his second home run of the game in the ninth to give Eckerd a 5-4 win.
Robin Allen (2-3) recorded the win after throwing three innings of relief and Jonathan Eisdorfer (3-1) was tagged with the loss.
Momentum seemed to be in Eckerd’s favor as they started off the second game by scoring two runs, but Lynn senior Frank Grandinette hit a two-run homer to left to tie the game in the second.
The offense stayed quiet through the next three innings as starting pitchers Nick Alonzo and Enrique Perez found their stride. Things broke open in the bottom of the sixth however, as the Fighting Knights scored three runs on a throwing error by third baseman Mitch Calandra.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lynn scored on a double from senior Miguel Ceballos before getting two more on a walk and wild pitch. Grandinette capped off the scoring with a two-run double to extend their lead to 10-3.
Eckerd (17-24) scored twice more in the ninth, but Daniel Nuzzi secured his fifth save of the season as Lynn (26-17) took the 10-5 victory. Jonathon Wake (1-1) got his first win of the season and Luis Duran (0-1) suffered the loss.
Moving forward, the baseball team will be starting their final road trip on Friday with three games against Barry before finishing the season at Embry-Riddle. Lynn softball will be traveling to Nova Southeastern for their final three games, which will begin on Friday as well.