HATTIESBURG, MISS.  – The Ave Maria baseball team suffered a pair of tough one-run losses in the opening two games of a 14-game road trip at William Carey (Miss.) on Friday night.
 
The Gyrenes dropped a 4-3 decision (seven innings) in the opener before being edged 8-7 in the night cap in eight innings.
 
The losses drop AMU's record to 8-15, while William Carey improves to 13-2 this season.
 
The Gyrenes jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in game one with a two-run flurry in the top of the first.  After Daniel Caylor led off the game with a single, Aidan Hickey was hit by a pitch setting up a two-out RBI chance for Brody Rubenstein who responded with a base hit to bring home Caylor and make the score 1-0.  AMU added its second run of the frame when Hickey crossed on a wild pitch by William Carey starting pitcher Sloan Dieter.
 
The lead was short lived as the Crusaders posted a four spot in the third, with the key blow coming via a three-run home run by WCU's Dieter that landed over the left field wall.
 
Wilfredo Acevdeo blasted a solo shot to left for the Gyrenes in the top of the fifth to make the score 4-3, but AMU would get no closer.
 
Jordan Szush laced a two-out single to center in the bottom of the eighth of a seven-inning contest, giving William Carey an 8-7 victory in the second game of the twin bill.
 
Friday's second game once again saw the AMU run out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first – only to see William Carey post five runs in its half of the opening inning.
 
Ethan Bergkamp ripped a two-run single to get things going for the Gyrenes in the first.  Clayton Stanley drove home Hayden Sullivan on a base hit to left to make the score 3-0 after a half inning.
 
Dieter launched his second three-run shot of the evening to clear the bases in the bottom half of the first to deadlock the score at 3-3.  Jake Lycette doubled and Chris Williams singled before coming across on consecutive fielder choices – giving the Crusaders a 5-3 advantage.
 
AMU posted a single run in each of the next three frames to open a 6-5 edge.  Caylor drove home a run with a sacrifice fly in the second and Stanley registered his second RBI single in the third.  Hickey crossed in the fourth on a wild pickoff throw by Alik Avila.
 
Dieter drove in his fourth run of the game and seventh of the doubleheader with a successful sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the fourth that tied the score at 6-6.  William Carey reclaimed the lead at 7-6 later in the inning when Jay Johnston scored on a bases loaded walk to Williams.
 
Acevedo jacked his second solo blast of the day in the top of the fifth for Ave Maria – knotting the contest for the third time at 7-7.
The two teams traded a pair of scoreless innings to force the extra inning of play.  Senior Christian Whitlach took the loss for AMU despite being solid in relief – allowing two hits and one run over 3.2 innings of work.  He struck out four.
 
The Gyrenes continue their series with the Crusaders with another doubleheader on Saturday, March 13 in Hattiesburg, Miss. 
 
First pitch for game one between Ave Maria and William Carey is slated for 1 p.m. EST.