AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team secured their second consecutive weekend series win on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with the Trailblazers of Ohio Christian University. The Gyrenes clinched the series with a 7-0 win in the opener, but could not secure a sweep in the nightcap, which saw Ohio Christian win 10-4 in eight innings.

Thanks to the pitching efforts of Cameron Horner, the Gyrenes would need just one run to win, a run they would get in the bottom of the second. Tanner Kelly led off the inning with a single, and moved around to third with a stolen base and a wild pitch. With one out, Willie Jackson would give Ave Maria the lead with a sacrifice fly to left field. 

The score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth, when the Gyrenes scored five runs to break the game open. Two walks and an error put runners on the corners for AMU with one out, and Kolby Blanchard brought both runners in with a double. After a double from Jose Gonzalez, Ethan Bergkamp drove in two more with a single. The final run of the inning was scored by Eric Havner, who came around to score on an Ohio Christian error.

Without the aid of a hit, the Gyrenes would plate their seventh and final run in the bottom of the sixth. Eli Garcia drew a walk with one out, and proceeded to steal second. After a walk to Daniel Caylor and a balk put runners on second and third, Blanchard added his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Cameron Horner became the third consecutive Gyrene to work a complete game, and the second in a row to post a complete game shutout. The freshman struck out seven Ohio Christian hitters, while allowing only three hits in his second win of the season.

In game two, Ave Maria struck first in the bottom of the third. Willie Jackson hit a double with one out, and Francesco Barbieri followed with a double to left field. The Gyrenes would again threaten later that inning, but Daniel Caylor was thrown out on the basepaths to end the inning. 

The teams traded scores in the fifth, as Ohio Christian took a 3-1 lead before the Gyrenes stormed back to retake the lead. The three-spot for Ave Maria all came with two outs, and started with an RBI double from Blanchard. An error off the bat of Gonzalez allowed the Gyrenes to tie the game, and an RBI double from Ethan Bergkamp swung the lead back to Ave Maria, 4-3.

Ohio Christian rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh, then scored six runs in the eighth inning to earn their first win of the season. The Gyrenes had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Daniel Caylor could not beat a throw home on a single from Gonzalez, which would prove to be Ave Maria's best chance at the sweep.

Barbieri was the lone Gyrene with two hits in the nightcap, as the Canadian outfield had a single, a double, a run scored, and a run batted in. On the mound, Kevin Figueredo pitched well for Ave Maria, allowing just one earned run over his 4.2 innings of work. 

The schedule picks up for Ave Maria over the next few weeks, as eleven of the team's next 13 opponents are either ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll. The first of these games comes Tuesday afternoon, when the Gyrenes travel to Lake Wales to face (RV) Warner University. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.