MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to claim a 5-2 victory over No. 21 St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens. The game was considered a non-conference contest, and will not count in The Sun Conference standings.
St. Thomas scored the first run of the game, needing just one swing of the bat to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Randy Oliva led off the second inning for the Bobcats with a solo home run, the first hit of the game for either team.
Ave Maria responded with a run of their own in the top of the third. Chris Wydler drew a leadoff walk and stole second base with no outs in the frame. After a strikeout, Ryan Keegan singled and the run came in to score on a Bobcat throwing error. Keegan was stranded at second after a strikeout and a groundout, but Ave's run tied the game at one.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth inning, when St. Thomas retook the lead. Singles from Guerra and Oliva put runners on first and third with one out, and a sacrifice fly from Garabedia allowed the Bobcats to take a 2-1 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Facing a fourth straight loss to St. Thomas, Ave Maria rallied with a four-spot in the top of the ninth. The entire rally came with two outs, as AMU had the bases empty with just one out to spare. Nick Wydler drew a walk, and Keegan was hit by a pitch. Luis Dominguez tied the game with a single up the middle, and Rico Soto gave AMU the lead for good with a single of his own.
The action continued with a three consecutive walks, the first to load the bases and the next to Brody Howe that forced in a run. The third walk, to Eduardo Rodriguez, capped the four-run ninth. Joshua Harrell nailed down the save for Ave Maria in the ninth, as Jake Davey earned the victory.
AMU managed just four hits in the victory - singles from Matt Wiles, Keegan, Dominguez, and Soto. Wiles reached base four times, and the Gyrenes reached base 14 times on walks.
The Gyrenes return to conference play on Friday with the first of three games against Webber International University. The opening game of the series is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Babson Park.
