BOCA RATON, Fla.— The 21st-ranked Barry Buccaneers took the rubber game of a Sunshine State Conference softball series 12-10 from the Lynn Knights on Sunday at the Lynn Softball Field. The win kept the Bucs in first place in the SSC, a game ahead of second-place Tampa (12-6).
Kelly Martinez drove in three runs with a home run in the top of the first inning to put Barry (29-10, 13-5 SSC) ahead early, marking the third time the Bucs scored in the opening frame this series.
Lynn (20-19, 10-8 SSC) got one back in the bottom of the inning when Amanda Casillas drew a bases loaded walk to score Vazquez who reached on a dropped fly ball to lead off the inning.
Kristina Pazienza hit a leadoff solo home run in the top of the second inning which ended Lynn's starting pitcher Katelyn Key's day prematurely. Missy Montgomery came in to pitch and allowed a solo home run to Ashley Fernandez which extended Barry's lead to 5-1.
Lynn stranded bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame for the second consecutive inning after Francais Olexa was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Vazquez and Carvatta hit back-to-back singles loading the bases but Barry's Haley Wiseman would escape the jam with a pop up by Wright and struck out Vassallo to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Martinez hit her second three-run home run of the game to put the Buccaneers ahead 9-1.
The Fighting Knights once again loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning and Carvatta reached on a fielder's choice in which Jasmine Campos beat out the play at the plate and scored the Knight's second run of the game.
Manya Lopez crushed a two-run home run to start off a fifth inning rally for the Fighting Knights. Vazquez drove in Campos making it a 9-5 game. With bases loaded and one out, Vassallo drove one deep over the right centerfield wall for her second home run in as many days tying the game 9-9.
The Bucs loaded the bases in the top of the seventh off Olexa (6-10). Fernandez had double with one out and Hunter Mars reached on an error by Campos at third. Copeland hit into a fielder's choice to erase Fernandez, but Alayna Gallagher coaxed an eight-pitch walk after falling behind 0-2. Olexa worked a full count on Espinosa who delivered her first triple of the season to score all three runners.
A leadoff single by Vazquez in the bottom of the inning gave the Fighting Knights a comeback opportunity. Vassallo drove her in with a double to left center field but that was all the Knights could get as Wiseman got Cherise McEnery to pop out to end the game.
Wiseman (15-5) got the win for the Bucs. She worked six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk. She struck out two.
Olexa took the loss, her 10th of the season, as she pitched 3.1 innings of relief. She allowed three unearned runs on four hits and a walk and struck out one.
Espinosa went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and three RBI to lead the Bucs. Martinez was 2-for-4 with a pair of three-run homers. The six RBI are tied for second-most for the Bucs. Ashley Loose had seven RBI against Ohio Valley in 2007. The four home runs by the Bucs (two by Martinez and one each by Pazienza and Fernandez) tied the school record set six other times, the last on Feb. 23, 2013 against Fort Valley State.
The Bucs play their last non-conference games this week on Tuesday, April 14 when they travel to West Palm Beach, Fla., to face the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish.
