AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team could not overcome the No. 1 team in the nation on Saturday afternoon, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Southeastern University at Bowie's Ballpark. The Fire won the opening game of the twinbill, 6-3, before finishing off the sweep with a 10-2 win.
Southeastern never trailed in the opening game of the doubleheader, scoring the first four runs of the game. The action started in the top of the first, when Noah Strohl got the Fire on the board with an RBI single that scored Dominic Anagnos. Another run crossed the plate in the fourth for Southeastern, as an error allowed Mike Taylor to score from second after a single from Josh Nelson.
A pair of home runs extended Southeastern's lead in the top of the fifth inning. Following a groundout, Anagnos belted the first home run of the day, making the Fire's lead 3-0. After a flyout accounted for the second out of the inning, Colton Onstott followed suit with a home run of his own, stretching the SEU lead to four runs. The Fire's half of the scoring was completed in the top of the seventh inning on a two-run homer from Strohl.
Ave Maria got on the board in the top of the seventh inning, and added two more in the eighth. In the seventh, Chris Wydler walked, stole second base, and scored on an RBI double from his brother, Nick. In the eighth, consecutive RBI singles by Alex Perez and Robby McMahon did the damage, but the Gyrenes could not pull any closer than three runs.
Game two saw the Gyrenes take an early advantage with a run in the bottom of the first. Luis Rodriguez led off the frame with a single, and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a Southeastern balk. Rodriguez was then driven in by Tully Allen, whose grounder to short was enough to give the Gyrenes a 1-0 lead.
Southeastern took the lead for good in the top of the second, pushing three runs across the plate. The Fire put runners on first and second on a single from Adam De La Cruz and a walk to Nelson. The bases were then cleared by Willie Estrada, who belted a three-run home run to open the scoring for Southeastern. The Fire added to their lead in the middle innings of the game, scoring one run each in the third, fifth, and seventh innings.
AMU's final run of the day crossed the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, and ended Southeastern's run of six unanswered runs. Nick Wydler belted a home run for the Gyrenes, his first of the season, to cut the SEU lead to 6-2. Four more runs crossed the plate in the final two innings for the Fire, with one in the eighth and the final three in the ninth.
The Gyrenes will remain at home for their next doubleheader, which is scheduled for Wednesday against the Seahawks of Keiser University. The seven-inning doubleheader is scheduled for a noon first pitch in Ave Maria.
