The Ave Maria University baseball team split a doubleheader with the Thomas University Night Hawks on Friday afternoon, losing the opener 3-2 before winning 7-4 in the nightcap.
In the opener, Thomas squeaked out a 3-2 victory over the Gyrenes despite outhitting AMU 12-5. Ave Maria pitching left 15 runners on base in the losing effort.
Thomas put each of the first three hitters of the game on base to take an early 1-0 lead. A leadoff walk drawn by Jalbert Melo and a Tanner Long single led to a single from Tanner Elsbernd that plated Melo. Another single loaded the bases for the Night Hawks, but Ave starter Christian Dufresne was able to avoid any further damage.
Another run was added by the visiting Night Hawks in the top of the second. Taylor Westbrook reached on an error with one out, and Long followed with a two-out double to bring the second Thomas run across the plate. From that point on, Dufresne would keep the Night Hawks off the board for the remainder of his five innings on the mound.
Ave Maria cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mason Dinesen reached on a fielder's choice that accounted for the frame's second out. The freshman then scored from first when Brody Howe clubbed a double into right field. Howe's third double of the season put AMU on the board, but Thomas still held a 2-1 lead after four.
A third run for the Night Hawks was added in the top of the sixth against relief pitcher Austin Comesanas. Gavin Murphy started the inning with a single, and was subsequently run for by Dillon True. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, True scored on the second RBI single of the day from Elsbernd.
The Gyrenes got within a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Tully Allen hit a leadoff double, and was moved to third base on a Steven Valentine groundout. Rico Soto walked, which led to a fielder's choice
off the bat of Ryan Keegan. Soto was retired at second, but Allen was able to score. The Gyrenes had the tying and go-ahead runners on base, but could not even the score. Valentine was Ave's leading hitter with a pair of hits.
The second game saw Ave Maria score four unanswered runs to rally for a 7-4 victory in a game the Gyrenes needed to keep hopes of a Sun Conference Tournament bid alive.
Thomas jumped out in front with two runs in the top of the second. Yovanny Peguero started the inning by reaching on an error, and Reed Melcolm followed with a single. After a failed bunt, Gavin Murphy drove in both runners with a double to right center field.
A bizarre play helped Ave Maria take a 3-2 lead during the bottom of the third. Singles from Ryan Cook and Steven Valentine had two AMU runners on with two outs. Rico Soto lifted a routine fly ball in left
field, which was misplayed and fell in. The ensuing throw then sailed over its intended target, and the end result was Cook, Valentine, and Soto all scoring to move the Gyrenes ahead by a run.
The Night Hawks responded with two more in the fourth to retake the lead. Taylor Westbrook drove in both Wyatt Petrey and pinch-runner Dillon True with a two-out single that flipped a one-run Gyrene lead
to a one-run Thomas lead.
A pair of big hits in the fifth allowed Ave Maria to reclaim the lead. After Matt Wiles started the frame with a single, Tully Allen lined a triple to the right center field gap to tie the game. Then, with two
outs in the frame, Ryan Keegan crushed a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw. Keegan's eighth home run of the season gave Ave Maria a 6-4 lead heading to the sixth.
Ave added a run in the bottom of the seventh, manufacturing a run to increase the AMU advantage to three runs. Allen and Steven Valentine hit consecutive singles, and Soto drove in Allen with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Austin Munn picked up his fifth win of the season, going 7.2 innings with five strikeouts. Justin Bureau struck out three in 1.1 innings,and earned his fifth save of the season.
The split sets up a crucial rubber match on Saturday afternoon at Bowie's Ballpark. The game is the last on the Ave Maria home schedule, and the Gyrenes will honor the class of 2017.
