The Ave Maria University baseball team pulled off a stunner on Sunday afternoon, scoring five runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat No. 24 St. Thomas, 6-5. The victory gave the Gyrenes their first Sun Conference series victory of the season via two victories over the nationally ranked Bobcats.
 
The Bobcats scored the first three runs of the game, plating a run each in the first, fourth, and fifth innings. In the bottom of the first, Cesar Ramirez drew a bases loaded walk to force in Bryan Bermudez, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
 
In the fourth inning, Oscar Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk and scored on a Ramirez double. The lead extended to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Gomez, which brought in Steven Fischer, who had reached on a double.
 
Ave Maria got a run back in the top of the seventh, on an Andy Hernandez home run. The homer was Hernandez's seventh of the season, the third highest single season total in school history.
 
The lead again became three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Michael Centeno reached first on a bunt single, and proceeded to steal second and third base. Centeno scored St. Thomas' fourth run of the game on an RBI single from Fischer.
 
AMU's eighth inning rally was started with one out. Jack Yvars drew a walk, which led to RJ Warnock drilling a two run homer, his first home run in a Gyrene uniform. Warnock's homer came off St. Thomas reliever Ben Anchuff.
 
Now trailing by a run, Rico Soto singled, Conor Sullivan drew a walk, and Ryan Keegan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ave evened the score at four on a Hernandez single, and took the lead when Christian Sanchez singled to right. The fifth run of the frame came across the plate on a Max Nell sacrifice fly, giving the Gyrenes a 6-4 lead.
 
St. Thomas pulled within one run in the bottom of the eighth, but could not get any closer. A single off the bat of German Morales scored Rodriguez with two outs, but Ave Maria closer Justin Bureau recorded the final out of the eighth and worked a hitless ninth inning to record his seventh save of the season. Bureau's seven saves are an Ave Maria single season record.
 
Ave Maria's Tommy Craparo earned the victory, and Devon Stubbings was charged with the loss for the Bobcats.
 
After taking two of three from the Bobcats, the Gyrenes will play a final midweek game against Eckerd College on Wednesday in St.
Petersburg. First pitch with the Tritons is set for 6 p.m.