Complete Box Score

SANTALUCES, Fla. - The Mercyhurst baseball team jumped out to a 7-0 lead after four innings against Lynn University on Thursday evening, only to see the Fighting Knights come all the way back to defeat the Lakers 9-8 in 11 innings to open Mercyhurst's annual spring trip to Florida. The Lakers suffered their first loss of the young season, dropping to 3-1. Lynn improved to 8-4 on the year.

Pitching and defense hurt the Lakers in the late stages of the game, allowing the Fighting Knights to score one run in the eighth and three in the ninth to send the contest to extra innings. From the eighth inning on, the Laker bullpen walked seven batters and threw four wild pitches, while the defense committed a costly error in the ninth inning and allowed the winning run to score on a passed ball in the 11th, assisting in the Fighting Knights' comeback.

Mercyhurst jumped on Lynn starting pitcher Kentrail Pierce, scoring four times in the top of the first inning. Shane Latshaw got on base with a one-out single and was driven home by the first home run of the season from Zak Blair, giving the Lakers a 2-0 advantage. Ethan Santora then reached on a walk, stole second base, and was driven home on a single to center field by Ryan Siegel. Andrew Fitzpatrick sacrificed Siegel to second base, who then scored on an RBI double by Matt Adamczyk, as the Lakers took a 4-0 lead after an inning.

The Lakers would score three more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 7-0 advantage. Santora reached base on a one-out walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Siegel struck out swinging, but reached base on a wild pitch by Pierce, which also allowed Santora to advance to third. Fitzpatrick then doubled down the left field line, driving home both Santora and Siegel, and chasing the Lynn starter in the process. Joe Perrotta replaced Pierce and promptly gave up an RBI single to Adamczyk, giving the Lakers a 7-0 lead.

But, the Lynn bullpen would pitch very well the rest of the game, allowing its offense to chip away at the Mercyhurst lead. Lynn began its comeback with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Mercyhurst starter Brad Duffy. The Laker starter allowed just three baserunners through the first four innings. But, a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth started the Lynn rally. A two-out single kept the inning alive and then Kyle Radzewski knocked home a pair of runs with a two-out double, getting the Fighting Knights on the board.

The first four batters reached base for Lynn in the bottom of the sixth inning, ending Duffy's evening. A leadoff double, followed by an error and back-to-back singles cut the Mercyhurst lead to 7-4. Ben Rawding, normally a starter, came in and put out the fire in the inning, allowing one more runner to reach base on another Laker error, but not allowing another run to cross the plate.

It remained a 7-4 Mercyhurst lead until the Lakers added a single run in the top of the eighth inning. Colin Loughner reached on a one-out walk and then came around to score on three wild pitches, one by Perrotta, and then back-to-back misfires by Andre Colon.

Lynn would counter with a run in the eighth inning against Dan Altavilla, who replaced Rawding after two solid innings. Altavilla walked three batters and threw two wild pitches in two-thirds of an inning. Laker closer Samuel O'Neill got the final out of the eighth with two men on base.

But, in the ninth, O'Neill walked four batters, including free passes to three consecutive hitters, allowing Lynn to tie the game with three runs. The second error of the game from Santora proved to be quite costly, as one of the runs in the final inning was unearned.

Finally, in the 11th, with O'Neill still pitching, Anthony Boza led off the inning with his fourth hit of the game, a single through the right side. Leo Carrillo would pinch run for Boza and would come around to score on two wild pitches and then a passed ball to complete the comeback.

Blair and Latshaw combined for six of Mercyhurst's 12 hits in the game, with each recording a three-hit effort. Adamczyk had two hits and two RBIs in defeat. Duffy went five-plus innings, allowing eight hits and four runs - two of which were earned. He walked one a struck out two. Rawding pitched two innings and allowed one hit while striking out three. Altavilla and O'Neill combined to pitch three-and-a-third innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on just two hits. The two combined to walk seven batters, while striking out one, and they uncorked four wild pitches.

The same two teams will play a single game on Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.