MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team came up short in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, dropping a pair of games to the Lions of Florida Memorial University. The Lions took the conference series with victories of 5-3 and 7-1 over the Gyrenes.

Florida Memorial scored the first four runs of the opening game, scoring three in the first and one more in the second. In the first, Jose Chavez got the Lions on the board with a two-run double, and Luis Rivera followed with an RBI single. The scoring in the second inning was provided by Nathan Llanes, who singled with one out and eventually scored on a passed ball. 
 
Ave Maria cut the FMU lead in half in the top of the fourth, scoring twice to get within two runs at 4-2. Alex Perez singled to right field, and moved up to third on two wild pitches. After a walk to Robby McMahon, Perez scored on an RBI single by Andy Hernandez. Spencer Nelson drove in the second Gyrene run, bringing in pinch-runner Chris Wydler with a single.

The Lions extended their lead back to three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Edison Cabrera led off the inning with a double, and was able to score following an Argenis Hernandez single and a wild pitch. AMU's final run followed in the top of the eighth, as McMahon started the frame with a double. He would eventually score on a Nelson sacrifice fly. 

In the second game of the doubleheader, Florida Memorial again never trailed, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. An RBI single from Jacquiel Perry got the Lions on the board, and a Gyrene throwing error allowed Yunior Sanchez to score the second run. Axel Gomez capped off the inning with a two-run single, giving the Lions a 4-0 lead after just one inning.

FMU extended their lead to seven runs in the bottom of the third inning. After Rivera reached on an error and Gomez doubled, runners were on second and third with one out. Rivera would score on a wild pitch, and Gomez came in on an RBI single from Manuel Molinedo. Molinedo would then steal second and score on an RBI single from Llanes, giving the Lions a 7-0 lead.

The Gyrenes' lone run in the nightcap crossed the plate in the top of the seventh. Nelson started the two-out effort with a single, and pinch-runner Christian Whitlatch would move up to third base on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Mark Rooney provided the Gyrene run with an RBI single to right field, scoring Whitlatch and concluding the scoring.

Ave Maria, who now holds a 5-10 record in Sun Conference play, will play four nationally ranked teams next week, beginning with a midweek non-conference game against Webber International University on Wednesday. That will be followed by a three-game set at Bowie's Ballpark against the defending national champion and current No.1 team in the nation, the Southeastern University Fire.