WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team took a game from the No. 17 team in the nation on Saturday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader with the Keiser University Seahawks. The Seahawks used a big inning to claim a 9-5 victory in the opening game of the day, but the Gyrenes avoided a series sweep with a 7-5 win in the nightcap.

The Seahawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning at Silvester Field. After a pair of singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs, Nick Diaz got the Seahawks on the board on a wild pitch. The second run came with a price, as Drew Reilly bounced into a double play. Cristian Sanjurjo scored, but the double play allowed the Gyrenes to escape the inning with minimal damage.

AMU and Keiser traded runs in the second and third innings, giving the Seahawks a 3-1 lead after three. In the second, Andy Hernandez singled with one out, moved to second on a groundout, and then scored on a stolen base and an ensuing error. Keiser answered in the bottom of the third, as consecutive hits to start the inning allowed Peter Crocitto to drive in Garrett Hall on a single.

Ave Maria battled back in the fifth and sixth innings, taking the lead with three unanswered runs. Two hit by pitches with two outs hurt the Seahawks in the fifth, as Tully Allen drilled an RBI single up the middle to cut the Keiser lead to 3-2. In the sixth, an error and a Hernandez double set up an RBI groundout from Anier Ricardo to tie the game and an RBI single from Mark Rooney to give the Gyrenes the lead.

Keiser took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs to take an 8-4 lead. The Seahawks tied the game on an RBI single from Sanjurjo, and took the lead on a bases loaded walk to Hall. A sacrifice fly from Crocitto drove in the third run of the inning for Keiser, and Reilly drove in two more runs on a double to complete the scoring. 

Both teams added one more run in the final three innings. Ave Maria got a run on the board with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh on a walk to Hernandez, but could not push across any more. Keiser answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as an RBI single from Josh Aprea drove in Reilly.

Game two saw Keiser score the first run of the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Ezequias Encarnacion doubled to left field, and moved up to third on an AMU throwing error. The Seahawks got on the board in the contest on an RBI single to right field from Aprea. 

From there, the Gyrenes scored six unanswered runs to take control of the contest. The runs came in pairs, with two crossing the plate in the third, fifth, and sixth innings. In the third, Nick Wydler started the scoring by blasting a 3-2 pitch over the left center field wall, tying the game at one. Then, Luis Rodriguez singled with one out, took second on a groundout, and moved to third on a stolen base. Allen drove in Rodriguez with an RBI single, giving AMU a 2-1 lead.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the fifth, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Hernandez and an RBI single from Spencer Nelson. The six-run surge concluded in the sixth inning, when a wild pitch allowed Justin Hartshorne to score and Allen, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, drove in Caylor with a single.

Ave Maria's lead moved to 7-2 after the teams traded runs in the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth. Keiser scored their run on a solo home run from Juan De La Cruz to lead off the frame, while the Gyrenes answered with a run in the eighth on an error off the bat of Hernandez, which allowed Allen to score his second run.

Keiser threatened in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs to come within two of the Gyrenes. A Jonathan Fernandez RBI double and a two-run single from Hall brought the tying run to the plate, but Ave Maria was able to induce a fielder's choice to pick up the win.

Noah Christopher was the winning pitcher for Ave Maria, allowing just one earned run in seven strong innings of work.

The Gyrenes are back in action on Tuesday, when Concordia University from Michigan comes to Bowie's Ballpark. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.