AVE MARIA, Fla. --- After redshirting last season, senior Andy Hernandez made his impact known right away, homering twice in Ave Maria baseball's 4-3 season opening loss to Taylor University on Friday afternoon. The Gyrenes had a 3-2 lead heading to the eighth before two Trojans runs gave TU the lead.
 
Noah Christopher got the start for the Gyrenes. He went 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on five hits and one walk. He struck out five in his AMU debut.
 
Jake Davey took the loss allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Chase Barrett pitched the finial 1.2 innings for the Blue and Green, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out one.
 
Taylor's Luke Shively got the start and pitched 3.1 innings. Andrew Kennedy for Taylor got the win, pitching one inning before the Trojans turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Kole Barkhaus picked up the two-inning save for Taylor.
 
Taylor got the scoring started in the top of the second inning on a RBI groundout to first. Hernandez hit the first of his two home runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at one.
 
After three scoreless inning, Hernandez connected on his second home run, this time a two-run shot with Tully Allen on base to give the Gyrenes a 3-1 lead.
 
The Trojans got one run back in the top of the seventh and two in the top of the eighth to take a 4-3 edge.
 
Ave Maria put two runners on and into scoring position in the bottom of the ninth before a strike out and pop out ended the rally for AMU.
 
Hernandez and Allen both finished with a pair of hits for AMU. Chris Wydler and Robert McMahon also tallied a hit in the opener.
 
The two teams return to Bowie's Ballpark tomorrow morning for a double-header beginning at 11 a.m. Both games on Saturday will be seven innings.