MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Billy Atkins was dominant once again, the offense belted 16 hits and Barry University’s baseball team rolled past Lynn 11-2 in the series opener Friday night at Feinbloom field.
For freshman Billy Atkins (5-3) this has become the norm. The rookie scattered seven hits and allowed just two runs, both of which came in the ninth inning, struck out seven and tossed his second complete game of the season.
The offense answered with 11 runs to go with 16 hits including home runs from Tyler Kellmann, Joe Iorio and Michael Slabach.
Barry (25-15, 10-9 SSC) grabbed the early lead in the first with a three run rally that began with four consecutive singles capped off by a two-RBI single off the bat of Kellmann to drive in Sheehan Planas-Arteaga and Luis Arrizurieta.
In the third, the Bucs added another run on Kellmann’s second long-ball of the season to put the Bucs in front 4-0.
The Fighting Knights (25-14, 8-5 SSC) sent out the South Region pitcher of the week in Jed Vandernaald but the right-hander was roughed up from the start and was chased off in the fifth after allowing eight earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
In the fifth the Bucs exploded for five more runs on six hits, including Iorio’s team-leading fourth homerun of the season.
Barry added runs in the sixth and another on Slabach’s solo-shot off the scoreboard in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Eight of the nine starters finished with at least one hit but the Bucs were paced by Planas-Arteaga’s career-high 5-for-5 night. Kellmann and Slabach each finished with three hits as well.
It was the Buccaneers’ seventh straight victory over the Fighting Knights at Feinbloom Field and their fourth straight win overall.
The Bucs and Knights will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Live-stat and video broadcast will be available through the Barry University athletics’ website, GBOARRYBUCS.COM.