Ave Maria, FL -- The Ave Maria University baseball team dropped its Sun Conference opener on Friday afternoon, surrendering four runs in the top of the eighth inning and two in the ninth in a 8-3 loss to St. Thomas University. The loss moved the Gyrenes to 6-2 on the young season.
 
Ave Maria took a 1-0 lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Justin Hartshorne started the bottom of the first by reaching on a throwing error, which put him on second base. Hartshorne moved to third on a Ryan Cook groundout, and then scored on a wild pitch from St. Thomas starter Erne Valdes.
 
St. Thomas answered in the top of the third inning, taking a 2-1 advantage. Six of the eight Bobcats that came to the plate reached, culminating in RBIs from Michael Centeno and Brandon Paez. Centeno drove in his run with a single to left, and Paez was hit by an Austin Munn pitch.
 
However, Ave immediately answered with a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the third. With two away, Rico Soto was hit by a pitch.
Then, with two strikes, Ryan Keegan lifted a two-run home run over the left field wall, his second of the season. Keegan's homer put Ave Maria back in front, 3-2.
 
The Bobcats threatened to tie or take the lead in the top of the seventh, using a single and a walk to put runners on first and third with two outs. Mason Dinesen was able to deny St. Thomas a game-tying hit, making a diving catch on a fly ball hit by Kendrick Gutierrez.
 
In the top of the eighth, St. Thomas broke through for four runs, all of which were unearned. Paez was hit by a pitch for the third time to start the inning, and moved to second on a fielding error off the bat of German Morales. After a sacrifice bunt, another error allowed Paez to score and tie the game. The Bobcats then claimed a 5-3 lead on a two-run double by Orlando Rivera. The fourth run of the frame was driven in by David Palenzuela on a single.
 
St. Thomas concluded their scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, driven over the left field fence by James Spatafora.
 
Despite not allowing an earned run in his eighth inning, Matt Leslie was charged with the loss for the Gyrenes. Starter Erne Valdes was the winning pitcher for St. Thomas. Tully Allen had three hits for Ave Maria, and Mason Dinesen had two hits in the losing effort for the Blue and Green. Austin Munn pitched six quality innings in his third start of the season, but was resigned to his first no decision of the campaign.
 
The series continues Saturday morning at Bowie's Ballpark with the first conference doubleheader of the season. First pitch of the opening contest of the twinbill is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Ave Maria, with the series finale following roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.