Lynn University Fighting Knights

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Fans in attendance at the McCusker Sports Complex Baseball Field were witness to a power display on Saturday afternoon with a little late-inning heroics on the side.  Anthony Boza powered Lynn University’s baseball team to a 6-4 and 10-9 extra inning victory to give the Fighting Knights a four-game sweep of Alabama-Huntsville.  Boza finished the day 9-for-10 with a double, four home runs and nine RBIs in helping the team improve to 7-1 on the season.

The catcher/designated hitter went 4-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBIs in game one while besting that performance by going 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three home runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth in game two.  His 13 totals bases and three home runs tied single-game program records.

Game two saw Boza hit two-run home runs in the first and third innings as LU built up a 7-0 lead.  Alex Bello added a RBI double in the fourth to give the Blue & White an 8-0 advantage.

Lynn would need all of those runs as UAH (2-5) roared back with seven runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to knot the game at nine.  Joey Sharkey, who started game one at catcher, came on in relief in the seventh and pitched two shutout innings for his first relief appearance since high school.  The Royal Palm Beach, Fla., native picked up the victory while striking out two batters.

With daylight quickly fading, Kyle Jeter got Mike Diorio to fly out weakly to left field.  Jeter had struck out Boza earlier in the game so his confidence was beaming.  But the right-handed reliever left a 2-1 fastball up in the zone and Boza smashed it well over the trees down the left field line to give LU a 10-9 victory.

Alabama-Huntsville used a pair of doubles off Lynn starter Kentrail Pierce to grab a 1-0 lead after one inning of game one.  Pierce settled down and struck out six batters over four frames, allowing just four hits.

Leading 2-0 in the top of the sixth, Boza evened the contest up with one swing of the bat, connecting on a two-run shot to left center field.  The flood gates opened up from there with Lynn scoring two in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

Austin Smith made it a 3-2 Blue & White lead with a double off the Charger’s pitcher’s shin and Boza followed with a RBI double.  Sharkey added his first home run in the eighth and Boza’s fourth RBI came with a bases loaded single.

The Chargers were able to plate two in the ninth with a two-out Grant DeBruin home run but Jason Whelan squashed the rally by inducing a weak ground ball to short.  Austin Bailey picked up his first career victory with 2.1 shutout innings, allowing two hits and fanning three batters.

Lynn returns to action on Saturday, February 18, when it travels to Cleveland, Miss., to begin a three-game series at Delta State.  Fans can follow the action live at LynnFightingKnights.com by selecting the Game Central icon.