HATTIESBURG, Miss. --- The Ave Maria baseball team defeated receiving votes Missouri Baptist 1-0 in their opening game in Mississippi on Friday afternoon. The Gyrenes fell in their second game of the day against host William Carey, 12-2.
 
Ave Maria moves to 2-4 on the season with both wins coming against teams ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll.
 
It was a pitcher's duel in the opener between Ave Maria's Jared Halteman and Missouri Baptist's Jordan Chana. Halteman pitched five shutout innings allowing four hits and two walks. He struck out three. Chana pitched six shutout innings before allowing a run to the Gyrenes in the top of the seventh with one out.
 
The Gyrenes played small ball in the top of the seventh to generate the games lone run. After a leadoff hit by pitch by Andy Hernandez, Chris Wydler pinch ran for Hernandez and advanced to second on a walk by Spencer Nelson. AMU then loaded the bases after a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and a intentional walk. Tyler Chase grounded into a fielder's choice which allowed Wydler to come around and score.
 
Jake Davey picked up the win for the Gyrenes. After relieving Halteman in the sixth, Davey pitched two shutout innings and allowed one hit with three strike outs.
 
In game two, William Carey jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first and one in the second. WCU added three runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 6-0.
 
The Gyrenes got one run back in the top of the sixth on a RBI single by Hernandez to bring home Daniel Caylor. After a WCU run in the bottom half of the innings, the Gyrenes made the score 7-2 in the seventh when Anier Ricardo scored on a William Carey error.
 
William Carey scored five in the bottom of the eighth to end the game after eight innings.
 
Six Gyrenes recorded a hit in the second game of the day. Noah Christopher took the loss on the mound for AMU. He allowed six runs on 10 hits over 4.1 innings. Jack Zander pitched 1.2 innings and allowed one run. Outfielder Nick Wydler pitched the final inning for AMU.
 
JC Sanner picked up the win for William Carey. He struck out 12 over six innings of four-hit, one unearned run ball.
 
AMU returns to action tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. ET start against Missouri Baptist followed by a 5 p.m. ET contest with William Carey.