DURHAM, N.C.. – Malori Pojar's solo home run propelled the Leopards to a 10-9 walk-off win over Kent State on Friday night in the opening round of the Duke Invitational.
 
The senior captain ripped the first offering of the bottom of the seventh over the centerfield wall, her first home run of the season, on a night when she finished 3-for-4 with three RBI's. Sophomore Kinzi Van Wyk turned in a gutsy performance in the circle, throwing 147 pitches to capture the win, allowing five earned with three strikeouts.
 
Van Wyk and the Leopards trailed 3-1 after one inning and gave up three more runs in the top of the second, but answered with a half dozen of their own in the bottom half. Lafayette batted around the order, scoring three runs with two outs in the inning. Erin Scott and Morgan Olynyk plated runs with singles and then Pojar delivered a two-run single on a 2-2 pitch to give Lafayette its first lead of the game, 7-6.
 
Kent State knotted the game at 7-7 in the fourth, scoring a run on a fielder's choice with two outs in the inning. It was more two-out lightning for the Golden Flashes in the fifth. They re-took the lead on Brenna Brownfield's second two-run double of the game.
 
Lafayette tied the game for a second time in the bottom of the fifth. Pojar doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a throwing error by Kent State reliever Maddie Huck. Natasha Miner's second nine-pitch at bat of the game drew a two-out walk and kept the rally alive for the Leopards and Van Wyk who stole home on a double steal to tie the game at 9-9.
 
In the seventh, the Leopards' defense stranded two Kent State (8-9) runners, setting the stage for Pojar's walk-off heroics in the bottom half.
 
Lafayette will play twice on Saturday, facing host Duke at 5 p.m. followed by Gardner-Webb at 7:30 p.m.