LAKELAND, Fla. – The Lynx dropped both ends of the double-header to Clark University today to open up the season at George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, Florida this afternoon. The Cougars got some outstanding pitching in both games and improve their record to 4-4 on the season.
In the first game, Clark senior Andrew Leblanc (Farmington, Conn.) went the distance and struck out ten leading the Cougars to a 10-2 win. Leblanc limited the Lynx to three hits while just walking two batters.
Clark got their offense going early as the first five batters of the game reached base. Sophomore Nicholas O'Brien (Potomac, Md.) led off the game with a walk while Michael Eglow (Delmar, N.Y.) followed him up with a single. They then scored on an RBI single by junior Andrew Doolittle (Hebron, Conn.) and an RBI double by Mitch DeLorenzo (Berlin, Conn.).
DeLorenzo finished the first game going 3-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, and walk while Eglow went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored.
For the Lynx, juniors Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) and Kevin Hopwood (Winter Haven, Fla.) each had a hit and collected an RBI. Sophomore Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) went 1-for-4 with a run scored for Lesley.
In the second game, Lynx starter Jeff Landry (Vestal, N.Y.) retired the first five batters he faced before freshman Jack Kenney (Saco, Me.) connected for a double to center field and Austin Knief (Scarsdale, N.Y.) knocked him in with another double to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the second.
Clark broke it open in the third as they sent 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs. DeLorenzo, Kenney, O'Brien, sophomore Dennis Glynn (Jamaica Plain, Mass.), and freshman Brett O'Keefe (Brighton, Mass.) all had RBI singles in the inning, leading the Cougars to an 11-1 victory.
The Cougars got another strong effort on the mound, as sophomore Michael Mainuli (Glastonbury, Conn.) went six innings, allowing just five hits and striking out three.
O'Brien finished game two going 2-for-5 at the dish with two RBI and a run scored. Kenney went 3-for-4 while also knocking in two and scoring one run.
For Lesley, sophomore Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with two singles and scored the only run of the game for the Lynx as he came across the plate on a wild pitch in the third inning.
The Lynx return to the field tomorrow when they will play a double-header with Colby-Sawyer College starting at 9:00a in Winter Haven, Fla.