WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Lesley University baseball team would fall to 0-2 to open the 2014 campaign as Medaille College would walk-off with a 9-8 victory this morning at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla.

The Lynx scored five runs in the top of the ninth to take their first lead of the game, 8-4, but the Mavericks would answer with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning capped by a game-winning two-run single to right field from freshman Kyle Powell (Haddon Heights, N.J.) as Medaille improves to 2-0 on the young season.

Trailing 4-3 after eight, the Lynx took advantage of two costly Maverick errors and strung together five hits to score five runs in the top half of the ninth. Sophomore Casey Blanchard (Bernardston, Mass.) led off the inning with a single before Robert Parson (Commack, N.Y.) and Tyler Plourd (Canton, Conn.) both reached to load the bases with no outs. An error in the outfield allowed the game-tying run to cross the plate before senior Ryan Genua (Prospect, Conn.) gave Lesley a 5-4 advantage with an RBI single. Freshman Mike Slaby (Foxboro, Mass.) followed Genua with a two-run double before junior Ray Cohen (Coventry, Conn.) would cap the Lynx scoring with a single to give Lesley an 8-4 lead.

Medaille junior Jake Tyno (Amherst, N.Y.) started the Maverick's rally by reaching base via a hit by pitch to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore Travis Chavanne (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) followed Tyno with a walk before Medaille cut into the lead on a double in the gap by Averey Bet-Payumo (Toronto, ON) to draw the Mavericks within three runs. 

After a Lesley pitching change, Junior TJ Serba (Tonawanda, N.Y.) would get hit by pitch to load the bases before Cory Bukowski (Depew, N.Y.) and Garrett Jones (Akron, N.Y.) both drew walks, bringing the Mavericks within one run.  Freshman Kyle Powell (Haddon Heights, N.J.) then delivered the biggest hit of his young career, lining a two-out single to right field to drive in Serba and pinch runner Patrick Castile (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) for the game winner.

Junior Adam Ciampi (Westford, Mass.) led the Lesley offense with three hits, one run scored, and an RBI. Slaby, Genua, and Cohen each finished with two hits for the Lynx while Hopwood knocked in a career-high three runs.

Sophomore Matt O'Donnell (Somerville, Mass.) made the first start of his career, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and striking out one.

Lesley will return to action tomorrow afternoon when they play Husson College at 5:00p at Chain of Lakes Park.