WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Ave Maria University baseball team fell in both games of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at No. 8 Keiser University. The Gyrenes dropped the opening game by a 16-6 margin, before falling 13-3 in the finale.
The losses drop AMU's overall record to 11-22 overall and 3-9 in Sun Conference action. Keiser improves to 28-6 and 10-5 in the conference loop.
After the Seahawks opened a 5-0 advantage through the first three innings of game one, the Gyrenes would battle back with a five-run top of the fourth to deadlock the contest at 5-5.
Brody Rubenstein got things rolling with a leadoff double and was immediately driven home on an RBI single by Alex Perez. Perez scored four batters later off a sacrifice fly from Anier Ricardo. Daniel Daylor drove home another on a RBI single to left and Wilfredo Acevedo drove in a pair on a base hit to center to round out the rally.
Keiser would go on to post 11 runs over the next five innings to take firm control. AMU's lone other run of the contest came when Rubenstein scored on a wild pitch in the fifth. Caylor finished the opener with three hits to lead the Gyrenes at the plate.
Freshman Brandon Diaz fell to 1-4 after taking the loss. He allowed eight hits and seven runs (six earned) over four innings. James Reynolds (6-1) picked up the win for the Seahawks after allowing eight hits and five earned runs in six innings of work.
The nightcap once again saw the Gyrenes keep things tight early on only to see the Seahawks pull away in the late innings.
Keiser claimed an early 2-0 edge with a pair of runs off two hits in the first. The Seahawks also capitalized on a walk and two wild pitches – one of which brought home a run. Keiser's other score in the first came on a single by Zach Mazur, who finished the game with three hits and three RBI for the Seahwaks.
Sophomore Aidan Hickey got AMU on the board with a solo shot in the top of the third – his third of the season – which trimmed the lead to 2-1.
Keiser added a run in the third on a fielder's choice and another in the fourth when a single from Ben McConnell plated Niko Petrides, making the score 4-1.
Rubenstein ripped a single to drive home Caylor in the fifth to get AMU within 4-2, but a two-run shot by Mazur and a two RBI base hit by Erik Owen in the bottom of the fifth put the game out of reach at 8-2.
Senior Clayton Stanley would add the final run of the game for the Gyrenes with a solo home run in the sixth – his fourth of the season, which is tied for the team lead.
Sophomore Ryan Schroeder was tagged with the loss after allowing three hits and three runs (two earned) over 2.1 innings in falling to 2-1. He walked four and had four wild pitches. Deykel Reyes went the complete seven innings while improving to a perfect 7-0 on the season. He fanned 10 while limiting AMU to two earned runs and five hits. He did not walk a single batter.
The Gyrenes close out their current 14-game road swing on Tuesday, March 30 with a doubleheader at Florida National in Hialeah, Fla., beginning at 12 p.m. EDT.
