BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Valdosta State baseball team fell to Lynn University 8-5, Sunday afternoon. The Blazers dropped to 3-3 on the season and the Fighting Knights improved to 6-1 overall.
 
The Blazers got on top first in the third inning as sophomore Preston Joye doubled to right field and scored. Lynn answered back in the fourth adding four runs on the board, highlighted by a three-run home run. 
 
In the fifth, the Blazers brought the score to 4-3 while Joye scored off a single to right field by senior Jakob Sessa and junior Ryan Romano scored from a single to right field by EJ Doskow.
 
VSU had a great chance in the sixth inning with runners at second and third with nobody out, but Lynn reliever Drew Dwyer came in for Jordan Winston and retired the Blazers in order to get out of the jam. The game remained 4-3 in favor of the Fighting Knights until the seventh when Valdosta State added two from a double by redshirt senior Luke Ard, plating Doskow and Sessa. The Fighting Knights also put one run on the board in the seventh and knotted the game at five.  
 
A miscue on the Blazers in the bottom of the eighth proved costly on a strikeout error.  A single followed and a three-run home run from Joseph Rosselli made the score 8-5 for Lynn.  VSU went down in order in the ninth.  
 
The Blazers outhit Lynn 8-6 while both teams had one error. VSU was led by a 2 for 3 outing from Joye with two runs scored, while Doskow was 2 for 5 with a run scored and one RBI.  Both Ard and Joye had doubles in the contest.  Reliver Brandon Raiden (0-1) took the loss, allowing one hit, two runs – one earned and fanned one in the eighth inning.  Junior Kevin Tomas started the game going five innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs, walked two and fanned two. 
 
The Blazers are back in action on Wed. Feb. 16 at 5 p.m., for their home opener facing Saint Leo University at Billy Grant Field at Tommy Thomas Park.  The Blazers then will open conference play facing Alabama Huntsville with a doubleheader on Sat., Feb. 19 starting at 1 p.m., and a single game Sun., Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com throughout the season for more information on Blazer baseball.