AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team had a historic day on Friday during the team's doubleheader sweep of Ohio Christian University. The main event was a no-hitter thrown by freshman righty Jose Fernandez in the nightcap, a 14-0 Ave Maria win. The Gyrenes also saw the single-game stolen base record broken twice, as Daniel Caylor stole four bases during the 11-5 win in the opener, but saw his record bested by Eli Garcia's five steals in game two.

It didn't take long for the Gyrenes to take the lead in the opening game, with three runs scoring in the bottom of the first. Kolby Blanchard drove in the first run on an RBI single, and Jose Gonzalez followed with an RBI triple. A sacrifice fly provided by Harrison Rossi plated Gonzalez for the third run of the inning, increasing AMU's lead to 3-0.

Ohio Christian responded with two runs in the top of the third, but the Gyrenes would score one in the third and two more in the fourth to extend the leaf to 6-2. Blanchard did much of the work for the run in the third, hitting a double, stealing third, then scoring on a Gonzalez groundout. A pair of RBI groundouts added to the lead in the fourth, with Rocco Pascente and Willie Jackson earning the RBIs. 

Three more runs would cross the plate for Ohio Christian in the top of the fifth, cutting the AMU lead to 6-5. Ave Maria's answer would be the final five runs of the game, with three coming in the bottom of the fifth and two more following in the sixth. Gonzalez added his third RBI on a groundout to start AMU's scoring in the sixth, and Rossi added two more RBIs with a two-out double. The scoring concluded in the sixth, with two Ave Maria runners scoring on an Ohio Christian error.

Daniel Caylor reached base three times on a walk, a hit by pitch, and a dropped third strike, and proceeded to become the first Ave Maria player to steal four bases in one game. Elsewhere offensively, Rossi went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in, Blanchard went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, and Gonzalez drove in three runs despite just one hit. Kolby Pemberton earned the victory on the mound for the Gyrenes in his second AMU start. Pemberton struck out five hitters in his seven-inning compete game.

Game two saw the Gyrenes in control from the second inning on, as AMU hung a snowman in the bottom of the second. Tanner Kelly and Rocco Pascente had the biggest hits in the frame, as Kelly drove in two runs with a single and Pascente did the same with a double. Willie Jackson, Franco Barbieri, Eli Garcia, and Daniel Caylor provided the other RBIs in the biggest AMU inning of the season to date.

The scoring kept coming in the next two innings. The lead extended to 10-0 in the third inning, thanks to a throwing error from the Trailblazers, as well as a bases loaded walk to Kelly. Ave Maria concluded the scoring with four more runs in the fourth. Kelly added two more RBis with a bases loaded single, and Garcia drove in another with a single of his own. David Leonardi also added a bases loaded walk to force in a run. 

Jose Fernandez's historic day saw the freshman face the minimum 21 hitters, with his lone two baserunners, both reaching on walks, erased on double plays. The first no-hitter in Ave Maria history saw Fernandez strike out four hitters, retiring nine hitters on fly balls and six more on groundouts, including the final out. The no-hitter came in Fernandez's first collegiate appearance.

Offensively, Eli Garcia had a breakthrough performance in his first college start. The freshman broke Caylor's record by swiping five bags in game two, and went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs at the plate. Tanner Kelly also had his best game as a Gyrene, going 3-for-3 with five runs batted in, as well as two runs scored.

Ave Maria will look to run their winning streak to eight games on Saturday, as the Gyrenes' series with Ohio Christian concludes. First pitch in the second doubleheader between the teams is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Bowie's Ballpark.