Miami Gardens, FL -- The Ave Maria University baseball team swept their way to a series victory on Saturday afternoon, claiming victories of 11-0 and 13-1 to take two of three from Florida Memorial University. It is the first Sun Conference series victory of the season for the Gyrenes.
 
Ave Maria dominated the opening game of the doubleheader, coupling a dominant performance on the mound from Andrew Steele with a consistent offensive attack to overwhelm the host Lions in a mercy-rule shortened seven inning contest.
 
AMU's offense got started in the top of the second inning. Mason Dinsen reached first on an error with one out, and promptly stole second. After a walk to Brody Howe, Steven Valentine drove in Dinesen with a single. Matt Wiles then drove in Howe with a single, and a Tully Allen sacrifice bunt pushed across Valentine. The inning's scoring concluded on a Ryan Cook triple, which plated Wiles.
 
After a scoreless third inning, the Gyrenes would score one run in each of the next three innings. Allen drove in a run on a triple in the fourth inning, and Ryan Keegan added the sixth Gyrene run with a double in the fifth. Ave Maria's lead would stretch to 7-0 in the sixth inning on an error off the bat of Cook, which allowed Allen to score.
 
The Gyrenes essentially ended the game with four more runs in the top of the seventh. A hit by pitch, a walk, and a single loaded the bases with no outs. Valentine drove in his second run of the day with a walk, and a single from Wiles allowed two more Gyrenes to score. Tully Allen drove in the last of his three runs to complete the scoring.
Wiles and Allen both went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead the Gyrenes.
 
On the mound, Andrew Steele went the distance without allowing a run to the Lions. He scatted just four hits while striking out six to pick up the victory.
 
In the second game of the doubleheader, Ave Maria continued their explosive offensive efforts, scoring seven runs in the first three innings en route to a 13-1 victory.
 
Game one's four run seventh was immediately followed up with a four-run first in game two. A Ryan Cook double started the scoring, as the freshman drove in Tully Allen, who had reached on an error. After a walk and an error loaded the bases with one out, a double from Mason Dinesen increased the Ave lead to 3-0. A Brody Howe groundout scored Andy Hernadez and gave the Gyrenes a 4-0 lead after one inning.
 
Florida Memorial's lone run of the day crossed the plate in the bottom of the first inning. An error put Emilio Marrufo on third base, and the leadoff hitter scored on a Tommy Hernandez groundout.
 
Ave Maria added two more in the top of the second inning as well. Ryan Keegan drove in the runs for the visitors, drilling a triple down the right field line. Keegan's two-run triple scored both Allen and Soto, who had singled and walked respectively.
 
A Soto triple with one out set up Ave Maria's seventh run of the game.
Keegan drove in his third run of the game by bringing in Soto via single and increasing Ave Maria's lead back to six runs.
 
For the second game in a row, the Gyrenes scored big in the seventh to force an early end to the contest. Three singles loaded the bases with just one out for AMU. A Cook walk, a Soto single, a Keegan single, and an Andy Hernandez walk each drove in runs, and Mason Dinesen finished the action with a two-run double. Keegan and Dinesen combined to drive in eight of Ave Maria's 13 runs.
 
Christian Dufresne followed the lead of Steele, tossing a complete game without allowing an earned run. He struck out eight Lion hitters, and scattering six hits across his seven innings on the mound.
 
Following the series victory, the Gyrenes return home for a Wednesday midweek contest against Keiser University at Bowie's Ballpark.