The Ave Maria University baseball team split a pair of Saturday afternoon contests with the Eagles of Reinhardt University, winning the opener 6-3 and dropping a 5-4 defeat in the nightcap. The games were played at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
The Gyrenes scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to record their third win of the season, a 6-3 decision over the Eagles.
In each of Ave Maria's first three victories, the Gyrenes have trailed in the fifth inning or later and rallied.
 
For the first time this season, Ave Maria scored first. Christian Sanchez, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored when a steal of second by Tom Filus distracted the Reinhardt defense enough for him to score.
 
Reinhardt answered in the third inning, turning a leadoff double from Ryan Anderson into a run via a Chap Lindstrom sacrifice fly.
 
AMU retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a two out rally started by Conor Sullivan. Singles by Sullivan and Rico Soto led to an RBI single from Ryan Keegan to give the Gyrenes a 2-1 lead.
 
The Eagles took their first lead in the top of the sixth inning against Austin Munn, who earned a no-decision for 5.1 solid innings of work. A hit-and-run off the bat of Jordan Carroll tied the game, and an error after Matt Jackson was retired gave Reinhardt a 3-2 lead.
 
However, it was the Gyrenes that had the final word, putting eight consecutive runners on base during the four-run sixth. An error off the bat of RJ Warnock tied the game, and hits by Sanchez, Sullivan, and Soto each drove in a run to supply the six runs.
 
Closer Justin Bureau, who had come on in the sixth inning, earned his first victory of the season, while Connor Hawkins took the loss for Reinhardt.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
A pair of big innings for the Eagles proved to be the difference in the second contest, as a two-run first and a three-run fifth powered Reinhardt to a 5-4 win.
 
Reinhardt opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the first, but the Gyrenes immediately answered with two of their own. A double by Rico Soto and a sacrifice fly from Ryan Keegan scored Christian Sanchez and Conor Sullivan to tie the game.
 
AMU used two Reinhardt errors to take the lead in the third inning, as Sanchez reached on an error, and crossed the plate on another error, an errant pickoff attempt by Eagle starter Brett Snell. The lead extended to 4-2 in the fourth inning, when Andy Hernandez scored on an RBI single from Sanchez. Sanchez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the losing effort.
 
The game, however, was decided in the top of the fifth, as two hits and three walks allowed the Eagles to push across three runs, with a sacrifice fly from Jordan Carroll supplying what proved to be the game-winning run.
 
The Gyrenes nearly tied the game in the sixth, but had a runner thrown out at the plate after a throwing error.
 
Matt Harris pitched well in relief for the Gyrenes, retiring eight of the nine hitters he faced. Dylan Childers earned the victory for Reinhardt, and Andrew Giddens was charged with the loss.
 
The series concludes on Sunday morning, with the finale between the Gyrenes and the Eagles beginning at 11 am at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Admission to the series finale is free.