Box Score The Ave Maria University baseball team was unable to overcome an early deficit, surrendering runs in each of the first four innings in a 9-4 defeat at the hands of Thomas University. The loss drops the Gyrenes to 2-13 in Sun Conference play, and lifts the Night Hawks to 2-11.
 
Thomas scored four times in the opening frame to take the lead on the Gyrenes. The four-run output was acheived with two outs. Two walks and a wild pitch gave the Night Hawks runners on second and third with two outs, and a single to left field from Gavin Murphy opened the scoring.
Reed Melcolm then hit a home run to left field to give Thomas a 4-0 lead.
 
The lead was extended to 5-0 by the Night Hawks in the second inning.
An error and a JR Cruess single again put two runners on base, with an RBI single by Jalbert Melo bringing in Blake Summers for the fifth run.
 
Ave Maria trimmed the lead to three runs in the top of the third, getting on the board with a pair of runs. A two-out single by RJ Warnock extended the inning long enough for Rico Soto to launch his third home run of the season, a shot to left field that brought the Gyrenes within 5-2. The homer brought in the 31st and 32nd RBIs of the season for the sophomore, currently the eighth best single season total in Ave Maria history. Soto led the Gyrenes with four hits on the day, including the two runs batted in.
 
Another two-out rally put a sixth run up for the Night Hawks in the bottom of the third. Gyrene starter Austin Munn induced a double play ball with runners on first and second, but Murphy scored with two outs on a double by Yovanny Peguero.
 
The Night Hawks again scored a single run in the bottom of the fourth, once again with two outs. A single by Jeremy Crosby brought Melo across the plate, giving Thomas a lead of 7-2 through four innings.
 
AMU got one back in the top of the fifth, pulling within four runs of the Night Hawks. Singles by Jack Yvars and Soto gave Ave Maria runners on the corners, and Conor Sullivan drove in his 22nd run with a single through the right side. The Gyrenes would proceed to load the bases, but could not get any additional runs to score.
 
However, Thomas was again able to distance themselves from the Gyrenes, this time scoring twice in the sixth inning to make the score 9-3. Melo hit the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence for a solo home run, and Colin Kirkland hit a sacrifice fly to score Crosby and put Thomas up by six runs.
 
The Gyrenes answered Thomas' home run with one of their own, similarly on the first pitch of the inning. Sullivan led off the seventh with a homer over the fence in right field, his third of the season.
 
Thomas' Jordan Martin picked up the victory, while Munn took the loss for the Gyrenes.
 
Ave Maria continues the series with Thomas on Saturday with a doubleheader in Thomasville. The first pitch of the day's opening game is set for noon.