Baseball | 2/10/2020 11:39:00 PM

Box Score BABSON PARK, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team walked off in the bottom of the eleventh on Monday afternoon, winning 9-8 over the Vikings of Grand View University. The Gyrenes scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, then scored twice in the eleventh to win their fifth game of the 2020 season.

Ave Maria started the scoring in the bottom of the first, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Gyrenes loaded the bases on two walks and a single from Jared Halteman. Tyler Chase drove in Daniel Caylor for the first run of the day on a single to left field. 

Grand View would score in each of the next two innings, jumping out to a 3-1 lead. In the second inning, a double from Drew Prange and an RBI groundout by Josh Luna gave the Vikings their first lead of the game. Another run was added in the top of the third, as Erik Swenson scored on an error after clubbing a two-out double.

The biggest inning of the game was provided by the Gyrenes in the bottom of the fifth, as AMU scored four runs. A sacrifice fly from Alex Perez and an RBI single from Aidan Hickey tied the game at three, but the biggest hit of the inning was provided by Kolby Blanchard. Blanchard belted a two-out, two-run home run to center field, giving the Gyrenes a 5-3 lead after five innings.

In the sixth and seventh innings, the Vikings and Gyrenes traded runs to keep AMU's lead at two runs. Grand View's run in the top of the sixth was the result of a single from Luna, which plated Colten Parkins. Ave Maria answered in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on an RBI single from Blanchard. Blanchard was AMU's leading hitter on the day, going 3-for-6 with four runs batted in.

The Vikings' biggest inning was the eighth, where three runs put Grand View up, 7-6. All three runs scored on a single swing of the bat. After a single from Dan Petersen and a walk to Anthony Azor, Prange belted a three-run homer over the right field wall, giving Grand View their first lead since the fifth inning.

Needing one run in the bottom of the ninth, Ave Maria came up with the big hit to send the game into extra innings. Alex Perez scored the tying run after a leadoff single, evening the score at seven. Perez was advanced to second on a Chase bunt, then moved around following a dropped third strike.

After a scoreless tenth inning, Grand View scored once in the eleventh. Azor drew a bases loaded walk, but eventual winning pitcher Kyle Conway would enduce a pop out with the bases loaded and two outs to keep the Vikings' lead at just one run. 

AMU's walkoff heroics started with a one-out single from Hickey. Blanchard tied the game on a double to left field, would would see him move up to third on the throw home. After back-to-back intentional walks loaded the bases, Wilfredo Acevedo hit a sacrifice fly that was deep enough to score Blanchard for the winning run. 

Next for the Gyrenes is a return to Babson Park for a conference series against the Warriors of Webber International University. Ave Maria will play one game on Friday before a doubleheader on Saturday.