MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Freshman right hander Erik Tovar struck out seven, while allowing just one run and a pair of hits, in a seven-inning, complete-game performance to lead the Ave Maria University baseball team to a 4-1 victory in the second game of a doubleheader at Florida Memorial University on Saturday afternoon.
The Gyrenes got all the offense they needed with a trio of RBI singles in the top of the second. Wilfredo Acevedo, Daniel Caylor and Koly Blanchard all registered run-scoring hits to give AMU a 4-0 edge that it would not relinquish.
Tovar was outstanding throughout, allowing no hits and only five baserunners through the first six innings. He earned the complete-game victory to move to 1-1 on the season.
Senior Luis Rivera finally broke up the no-hit bid for Florida Memorial with a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh with the Lions trailing 4-0. Rivera scored on a RBI single by Zachary Urso for the only blemish against Tovar.
The win improved the Gyrenes' record to 3-9 overall and 2-4 in Sun Conference action. Florida Memorial dropped to 5-4 and 3-3 in conference games. The victory snapped a four-game skid for AMU.
The opening game saw Ave Maria fall behind by a 3-0 margin after allowing Florida Memorial a run in each of the opening three innings.
Senior Tyler Chase laced a one-out single down the right field line that drove home Michael Signorelli and Aiden Hickey to get AMU within 3-2 in the top of the fourth.
Florida Memorial added a single tally in the bottom of the fourth and three runs in the fifth to up the advantage to 8-2.
Caylor scored on a wild pitch for AMU in the seventh to account for the game's final run. AMU stranded 10 runners on base in the loss.
Freshman Carter Sullivan made the start and took the loss for the Gyrenes in falling to 0-2. He allowed 10 hits and eight runs, six of which were earned, over five innings. Sullivan walked three and struck out two. Juan Hernandez (1-0) earned the win for the Lions by holding the Gyrenes to four hits and two runs over five innings of work.
The Gyrenes return to the diamond on Tuesday, Feb. 23 with a doubleheader against the current top-ranked team in the NAIA National Poll, Southeastern (Fla.) University.
First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at Bowie Ballpark on the campus of Ave Maria University.
