LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team began a three-game conference series against the No.4 team in the nation on Friday night, facing off against the Fire of Southeastern University. Southeastern scored eight unanswered runs to end the contest, and claimed a 12-2 victory in the opener.
It was the Gyrenes that put the first run on the board on Friday night, scoring in the top of the second inning. Aidan Hickey was hit by a pitch with one out, and moved around to third on a double from Kolby Blanchard. Clayton Stanley then gave Ave Maria a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Southeastern responded with three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead for good. Back-to-back doubles did the damage for the Fire, as Carter Bridge drove in two runs and Benito Varela drove in another. The Fire added to their lead in the third inning, as an error allowed Nick Bottari to score from second. Bottari had walked and stole second to start the frame, and his run increased Southeastern's lead to 4-1.
Both teams scored a run in the fourth inning, keeping the Southeastern lead at three runs. Ave Maria got within two runs when a fielder's choice by Blanchard drove in Jakob MacLeod. MacLeod was running for Tyler Chase, who was hit by a pitch. Southeastern responded with a home run, provided by Varela.
SEU started to pull away from the Gyrenes in the fifth inning, thanks to a three-spot. Each run in the inning was scored on a double, with Colton Onstott, Sam Faith, and Varela doing the damage. Abdel Guadalupe, Onstott, and Faith scored the runs during the frame, which saw the Fire open up an 8-2 lead.
Four more runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the sixth, allowing Southeastern to end the game early due to the NAIA run rule. Southeastern's power surge continued in the sixth, with two home runs accouting for the four runs. Guadalupe hit the first long ball to drive in Bottari. The scoring was completed when Faith cleared the center field fence, which also plated Onstott.
The Sun Conference series continues with a doubleheader in Lakeland on Saturday. Ave Maria will look to take a game from Southeastern, setting up a possible decisive game in the nightcap. The Fire and the Gyrenes will resume the series at noon on Saturday, with the series finale scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
