Ave Maria, FL -- The Ave Maria University baseball team came up short in a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday afternoon, dropping both parts of a doubleheader, 7-4 and 4-3, to the Cougars of Spring Arbor University. With the doubleheader sweep, the Cougars earned a 2-1 series win.
 
Spring Arbor never trailed in the opening game of the doubleheader, and pulled away late for a 7-4 victory over the Gyrenes.
 
The visitors scored twice in the top of the first inning. Alex Holley drove in his third run of the series with a groundout, and Tyler Reed followed with an RBI single. The runs were scored by Chris Triplett and Conner Lengerich, who reached on a dropped third strike and a walk, respectively.
 
After the first two hitters in the Ave Maria lineup were retired, Rico Soto got the Gyrenes on the board. Soto lifted a fly ball over the left field fence, belting a solo shot for his third home run of the season to pull the Gyrenes within a run at 2-1.
 
Spring Arbor supplied the game's winning margin of three runs with a three-spot in the second. A bunt single from Triplett, followed by a throwing error, allowed Nick Harris to score. Lengerich then added an RBI single to plate Triplett, and Lengerich scored on a steal of home after Holley stole second following a walk.
 
AMU responded with three runs of their own to cut the Cougar lead back to one run. Mason Dinesen hit a one-out single, and Brody Howe followed with a double to put runners on second and third. A wild pitch scored Dinesen, and after a two-out walk to Matt Wiles, Tully Allen clubbed a two-run double to plate both Howe and Wiles.
 
The Cougars added a run in the fifth and seventh innings to put some distance between themselves and the Gyrenes. Nick Harris drove in Jack Driscoll with a double in the fifth, and Harris completed the scoring with a bunt in the seventh, a squeeze that also plated Driscoll.
 
Duncan Patterson pitched all seven innings for the Cougars, and earned the win. Andrew Steele was charged with the loss. Ryan Cook and Soto each had two hits for the Gyrenes, including a double and a triple for Cook.
 
The second game saw Spring Arbor score twice in the fifth inning to secure the one-run victory, 4-3.
 
For the third game in a row, Spring Arbor scored first. Chris Triplett hit a leadoff single to left, and moved to second when the single was misplayed. He then stole third, and took home when the Gyrenes were forced to throw to first on a dropped third strike.
 
Spring Arbor scored in a similar fashion in the top of the third inning. Triplett tripled to start the frame, and again crossed home on a throw from home to first on a dropped third strike.
 
Ave Maria answered with three runs in the third to take their first lead of the day. Ryan Cook, who went 2-for-3 in the finale, doubled and stole third to start the inning. With two outs, Andy Hernandez dropped in a bloop single to plate Cook. Mason Dinesen then doubled, and an errant throw from the catcher allowed Hernandez to score. Miles Stevens gave the Gyrenes the lead with an RBI single. The third inning was the sole scoring inning for AMU, as the Gyrenes left eight runners in scoring position.
 
The decisive pair of runs in the fifth inning were sparked by a double from Francisco Ondina, and a single by James Hall. After a fielder's choice saw Ondina thrown out at home, a sacrifice fly by Alex Holley tied the game. An attempted throw on the sacrifice fly got away from the Gyrenes, allowing Triplett to score the game-winning run.
 
Despite a solid outing, Christian Dufresne took the loss for Ave Maria. Drew Weston was the winning pitcher, and Gavin Harris picked up the save.
 
Ave Maria's Spring Break stretch continues on Sunday afternoon, as the Gyrenes welcome the University of St. Francis to Bowie's Ballpark. The fourth game of AMU's eleven game homestand is scheduled for 2 p.m.