BABSON PARK, Fla.  – The Ave Maria University baseball team jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage but it was unable to hold on as it dropped its fifth straight game by an 8-4 margin at Webber International University on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Senior Alex Perez drove in two runs in the loss for the Gyrenes on a single in the top of the fifth that tied the contest for the final time at 3-3. 
 
Fellow senior Ethan Bergkamp put AMU ahead 1-0 in the top of the first with a run-scoring single that plated Kolby Blanchard.
 
Webber took the lead for good at 7-3 with a four-run fifth that saw four different players register an RBI for the Warriors.
 
Freshman Jeffery Cardazzone ripped an RBI double in the top of the eighth to account for AMU's final run of the contest.
 
The Gyrenes utilized a total of seven pitchers in the game, including starter Fernando Fernandez, who went 3.1 innings and allowed two hits, three earned runs and walked four.  Erik Tovar (1-3) took the loss after giving up two runs on a hit in 0.2 innings.
 
Praxie Vigil (1-1) logged the win for Webber after limiting AMU to just one hit over 1.2 innings of relief.
 
With the loss, the Gyrenes fall to 14-29 overall, while Webber moves to 26-21.
 
AMU returns to action at Bowie's Ballpark on the campus of Ave Maria University on Friday, April 23 vs. Thomas (Ga.) in a Sun Conference doubleheader.  First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. EDT.