AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team played a pair of slugfests on Monday afternoon, welcoming the Blue Devils of Lawrence Tech to Bowie's Ballpark. Game one went into extra innings, with Lawrence Tech coming out on top, 10-8. The Blue Devils then completed the sweep with a 10-7 win in the nightcap.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning of the opener, getting the game started in explosive fashion. The second batter of the game for Lawrence Tech was Jackson Walkowiak, who lifted a two-run homer over the left field fence. Ave Maria's answer came after two walks put runners on first and second. Kolby Blanchard doubled down the left field line for the first run, and Aidan Hickey lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game.

The next four runs were scored by Lawrence Tech, as the Blue Devils scored one in the third, two in the fourth, and one in the sixth. Brian Corbett drove in the run in the third inning on a double, which scored Sean Fannon. In the fourth inning, a two-run homer from Harry Storch increased LTU's lead to 5-2. The final of the four unanswered runs came on an error in the top of the sixth.

With just six outs to play with, the Gyrenes scored four runs in the final two innings to send the game to extras. Daniel Caylor started the rally in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run single, which allowed Ethan Bergkamp and Eddie Castillo to score. In the bottom of the seventh, the Gyrenes put runners on second and third with one out. A groundout from Chase cut the lead to one, and a two-out single from Bergamp tied the game.

One run from the Blue Devils was answered with one run from the Gyrenes in the eighth, as the trading of runs kept the action going. Lawrence Tech initially took the lead on a grounder from Luke Lambert, which plated Ryan Robinette. Ave Maria again tied the game on an RBI single from Alex Perez, who drove in Jared Halteman.

After a scoreless ninth inning, Lawrence Tech broke through with three runs in the top of the tenth. A single from Walkowiak gave the Blue Devils the lead for good, and a home run from Fannon extended the lead to 10-7. Caylor gave the Gyrenes some life with a home run of his own in the bottom half of the frame, but AMU could not get closer than two runs.

In game two, eight of the game's 17 runs were scored in the first inning. Lawrence Tech scored five of those runs in the top half, starting with RBI singles from Walkowiak and Sam DeKuiper. The Blue Devils blew the game open with a three-run homer from Nathan Picchioni, giving the visitors a 5-0 lead before Ave Maria even came to the plate.

Ave Maria responded with three runs in the bottom half, cutting the Blue Devils' lead to two runs. The Gyrenes loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit batsman. A fielder's choice off the bat of Kolby Blanchard got AMU on the board, and a sacrifice fly from Bergkamp made it 5-2. Jeff Cardazzone added an RBI single to cut the LTU lead to 5-3.

Lawrence Tech's lead remained 5-3 until the top of the fifth inning, when the Blue Devils scored four runs. The first of those runs was provided on a single from Logan Barker, while the other three were driven in by Tyler Cleasby, who cleared the bases with a double. Another run was added in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Max Mohring. 

Three runs got the Gyrenes close in the bottom of the seventh, but could not entirely close the gap. A Bergkamp double, a wild pitch, a Cardazzone sacrifice fly, and a double from Caylor did the damage, and Ave Maria had the tying run at the plate before a flyout ended the contest.

The Gyrenes will get the rest of the week off before facing Concordia Ann Arbor next Tuesday at Bowie's Ballpark.