Boca Raton, Fla. - Despite a seven-run top of the first, and a fifth-inning grand slam by Michael Cattani which stretched the lead to 10 runs, the Adelphi University baseball team eventually fell to a furious late rally by the Fighting Knights of Lynn University on Wednesday afternoon, 16-15.
With the home team trailing 15-8 headed to the bottom of the eighth inning, the Fighting Knights logged five hits - including three home runs -- and fives walks against four Adelphi pitchers out of the bullpen, to take the lead for the first time at 16-15 for what proved to be the final score.
Adelphi (6-4-1) batted around in a mammoth first inning which saw Steven Withers drive in three runs courtesy of a lead-off homer and a two-run single to cap the scoring, as the Panthers logged five hits and two walks to chase Lynn starter Zack Miednik after just one-third of an inning. A two-run double for freshman Tim O'Connor tacked on two, scoring Cattani and Brandon Morse before a walk and two more singles against Miednik added another run and loaded the bases.
All seven runs were credited to Lynn's starter, as Jonathon Wake walked Lawrence Cicileo with the bases loaded and served up the two-run single to Withers to allow inherited runners to score.
However, the Fighting Knights gave a glimpse of what was to come as they scored three in the bottom of the first, as Alejandro Martinez cleared the bases with a double against Tom Ambrosino, scoring three runs. Over the next four innings, Adelphi scored three times and Lynn added two runs as the Panthers sustained a lead of 10-5 headed to the sixth.
It was then that Adelphi seemingly broke the game open, as with the bases loaded and Cattani at bat, the junior outfielder nailed a grand slam to left field, bringing home Withers, Tyler Becker and Lucas Terwilliger, to tally four RBIs. The home run increased Adelphi's lead to 10, and marked Cattani's first homer of the season.
Although the Panthers had a double-digit edge on Lynn, the Fighting Knights battled their way back into the contest by three runs in the bottom of the sixth, and eventually pulled off the stunner with eight in the eighth. The Blue and White largely used the long ball to get back in the game, as a two-run blast for Tom Archer followed an RBI triple for Alec Ojeda in the sixth, and four of the five hits the Panthers' allowed in the eighth were for extra bases.
Following a homer by Tyler Green to start the inning, with the bases loaded, Gabe Martinez hit his own grand slam for the hosts to decrease the deficit to two runs. Another homer, this one by Shayne Fontana, drove in two and a double for Ojeda to right field allowed Lynn to tack on three more runs for the victory.
Sophomore Ambrosino pitched a career-best 5.2 innings in the start, striking out three Lynn batters and scattering six hits for the hosts. All four relievers gave up at least one run to the home team, combining for seven overall. The loss went to Max Steele, who allowed two runs on two hits and two walks to make him 1-1 on the season.
The Brown and Gold return to action tomorrow evening against Barry University on their home field. The first pitch is at 6 p.m.
About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 25 regular season conference titles, 26 tournament championships, 33 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.
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