Ave Maria, FL - The Ave Maria University baseball team moved to 5-0 in the 2017 season with a sweep of Edward Waters College Saturday at Bowie's Ballpark in Ave Maria. The Gyrenes cruised to a 7-0 victory in the opening game before claiming a 9-0 triumph in the rematch.

Game 1 Recap
In the opener, Ave used a pair of big innings and a stellar pitching performance to claim the 7-0 win.
 
Ave Maria got off to a near-perfect start in the first inning. Austin Munn started the ballgame by striking out the side, and the offense hung a four-spot on the board. Justin Hartshorne singled and Ryan Cook doubled to lead off the inning, and Rico Soto followed with an RBI bloop single. After a lineout, Andy Hernandez launched a three-run home run over the left field fence at Bowie's Ballpark. The homer was the tenth of Hernandez's Gyrene career, making him just the fourth player in Ave Maria history with at least 10 home runs.
 
The Gyrenes added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning as Hernandez doubled to left field to start the frame, and moved to third on a groundout from Mason Dinesen. Matt Wiles was then hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and third with one out. Hernandez scored on an attempted double play ball that saw all Ave runners advance safely. Wiles came into scored on a Tully Allen groundout, and Hartshorne recorded his third hit of the day with an RBI single to give Ave Maria a 7-0 lead after three innings.
 
The lead was more than enough for starting pitcher Austin Munn, who tossed six shutout innings for the Gyrenes. Munn has not allowed an earned run in his first ten innings of the season. The redshirt senior was dominant, striking out eight Edward Waters hitters and allowing only two hits and two walks. He faced just three more than the minimum in his six innings, and moved to 2-0 on the young season. Zack Rose pitched the seventh and final inning for AMU, and set the visiting Tigers down in order to complete the first game of the doubleheader.
 
Hartshorne led the Gyrene offense, recording three singles from the leadoff position. Hernandez and Ryan Cook also added two hits each, and Hernandez's three RBIs were a team best. Every Ave Maria starter either reached base or drove in a run in the victory.
 
Game 2 Recap
Another early surge propelled the Gyrenes to the victory in the finale of the doubleheader.
 
Once again, the Gyrenes got off to a hot start with another four-run first inning. With one out in the bottom of the first, Matt Wiles clubbed a triple. He would subsequently score on a Rico Soto. Soto would come around to score after stealing second, crossing home on an Andy Hernandez single. The first inning surge concluded with a two-run double by Ryan Cook. The final three runs of the inning all scored with two outs.
 
The Gyrenes added another run in the bottom of the second inning. AMU loaded the bases on singles by Tully Allen and Justin Hartshorne, as well as a walk to Wiles. Soto made it 5-0 Gyrenes with a sacrifice fly to center.
 
In the fourth inning, the Gyrenes added two more runs on a double by Rico Soto. Soto's two-bagger plated Hartshorne and Wiles, who each reached on singles to start the inning.
Mason Dinesen added an RBI single in the 6^th, putting AMU up 9-0 where the score would stay for a final.
 
 The series between Ave Maria and Edward Waters concludes on Sunday morning, with the Tigers and Gyrenes meeting for an 11 a.m. first pitch. Ave Maria will search for a second consecutive sweep and a 6-0 start.