BOCA RATON, Fla. - - The Wilmington University baseball team couldn't overcome a nine-run second inning as Lynn won a shortened game, 14-6, on Wednesday afternoon at the Lynn Baseball Field.
The start of the game was delayed due to a prior game on the field going through a two-hour rain delay. The Wildcats (3-5) and Fighting Knights (9-10) were expected to play nine innings, but the game was called after the seventh due to darkness.
The second inning started with the Wildcats being able to take a 2-0 lead over the Knights. An error put runners on first and second before Brett Nowell worked a walk to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in the first run before another wild pitch gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
But the lead was quickly erased as a single and home run by the first two batters of the bottom of the second tied the game, 2-2. Back-to-back doubles gave the Fighting Knights a 3-2 lead. A single brought in another run and two batters later Lynn held a 7-2 lead with a three-run homer to left. In all, the first seven batters in the second reached base, six of which via a base hit. The inning finished with two more RBI singles, totaling nine runs on nine hits while they left the bases loaded.
Christian Adorno led off the top of the third inning with a double to left center, and it looked as if it was going to be another slugfest for the Wildcats. Kendall Small followed with a single to put runners on first and third with no outs in the inning. Max Carney doubled to right center to score Adorno and Nick Macey brought in Small with an RBI groundout. Carney came around to score on a fielding error to bring the score to 9-5, but that was all the Wildcats could muster in the third.
The Fighting Knights took the momentum back from the Wildcats in the home half od the third, picking up five more hits, including a two-run homer and a triple, for four runs to take a 13-5 lead.
Small was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Kyle Fries scored two runs as well.
Nick Grant took the loss on the mound, throwing 1.1 innings while allowing nine runs on nine hits.
The Wildcats look to snap their three-game losing streak when they return to action on Thursday. They head to Miami Gardens to square off against NAIA nationally ranked No. 9 St. Thomas (Fla.). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.