AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Ave Maria University baseball team came up short in both games of a Sun Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Bowie's Ballpark, losing a 15-8 decision in the opener, before falling by a 6-3 margin in game two.
Junior Brody Rubenstein hit his first of two home runs on the day with a solo shot leading off game one for the Gyrenes with a blast over the right field wall to get the Gyrenes to within 2-1, after Webber's Angel Diaz hit a two-run homer in the Warriors' half of the first.
Webber opened up its lead to 10-1 following a seven-run second inning sparked by three consecutive singles and a hit batter to open the frame. Norberto Navarro registered a two-run single to drive in two, before the Warriors were aided by two more hit batters and a walk with the bases loaded.
Rubenstein ripped a triple in the bottom half of the third for AMU before he was plated on a sacrifice fly by junior Daniel Caylor.
The Gyrenes added three more runs in the sixth on the strength of a two-run single by Wilfredo Acevedo and a bases loaded walk by Tyler Chase.
Hayden Sullivan highlighted a two-run eight for AMU with a solo blast to right center, his first of the season. Junior Kolby Blanchard finished the contest with three hits – all singles. He was one of four Gyrenes to post multiple hits in the loss.
Erik Tovar took the loss for AMU after allowing nine runs, six hits and a walk over one inning. Freshman Bryce McDonald went 5.1 innings and limited the Gyrenes to five runs on seven hits to earn the win. He also recorded nine strikeouts.
Freshman starting pitcher Brandon Diaz hit three of the first four batters he faced to open the second game of the twinbill before being replaced by Callan Carn. Carn limited the Warriors to just a single run after entering the game with the bases loaded and no outs.
Webber opened the top of the second with back-to-back singles, setting up a sacrifice fly by Rougie Odor, increasing its lead to 2-0.
AMU sophomore Aidan Hickey trimmed the deficit to 2-1 with a homer over the right field wall in the bottom half of the fourth. Rubenstein deadlocked the game at 2-2 for the Gyrenes in the sixth with his second-long ball of the game and third of the season.
Diaz homered in consecutive innings for the Warriors to close out the win. He posted a solo shot to lead off the seventh, before ripping a two-run shot in the eighth to make the score 5-2.
Austin Dreher earned the victory for Webber after allowing two hits, four runs and striking out seven over six innings. Diaz was hit with the loss for the Gyrenes.
Ave Maria returns to action with a single game on Monday, Feb. 15 vs. Florida Southwestern, which is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.
