AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team completed their Sun Conference schedule on Saturday afternoon, losing 11-1 to the Thomas University Night Hawks at Bowie's Ballpark. Before the game, which served as the series rubber match, the Gyrenes honored the eight members of their senior class.
Thomas never trailed in the series finale, posting five runs in the top of the first inning. Chase Hinson led off the game with a double, and was promptly driven in by Maury Gonzalez. The Night Hawks then loaded the bases on a pair of walks, and increased their lead on a two-run single from Jacob Schmidt and run-scoring singles from Tyler Keaton and Keefer Beaty.
The Night Hawks continued to elevate their lead throughout the early innings of the game, scoring one run each in the third and fourth innings. With one out in the third inning, Schmidt drove in his third run of the day by belting a 2-0 pitch over the right field fence. The Night Hawks added a run in the fourth on a bases loaded fielder's choice off the bat of Luis Martinez, which allowed Gonzalez to score.
Two more runs crossed the plate for the Night Hawks in the top of the fifth, ending a stretch of nine consecutive runs. Hinson drove in Beaty with a one-out double after Beaty had singled to left field with one out. After Hinson moved to third base on a wild pitch, the Thomas leadoff hitter scored on a sacrifice fly by Clellan Barnes.
Nick Wydler continued his hot hitting on Senior Day, ripping a triple with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wydler would then be driven in by fellow senior Andy Hernandez, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right field.
Saturday's game was ended after seven innings due to the run rule, as Thomas scored twice in the top of the seventh. The Night Hawks put the first two runners on base thanks to a double and a hit by pitch, and saw both runners scored on a one-out single to left field by Schmidt.
Ave Maria logged four hits in the losing effort, recording two single and a double to go with Wydler's triple. Luis Rodriguez doubled in his last home game, while Jared Halteman and Andrew Lesniewski added singles. Schmidt was the standout in the Thomas lineup, going 3-for-4 with five runs batted in.
The Gyrenes are at home again on Monday for a non-conference doubleheader against Florida National University. Four of the last five games on the Ave Maria schedule will come against the Conquistadors, with all four games played at Bowie's Ballpark. First pitch against FNU is scheduled for noon in Ave Maria.
