AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team swept their doubleheader on Monday, taking two games from the Cavaliers of Montreat College. The Gyrenes never trailed in a 6-2 victory in the opener, then scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth to complete the sweep with a 6-5 win in the nightcap.

It was a quick start for the Gyrenes, as a single from Daniel Caylor and a double from Tanner Kelly started the bottom of the first inning. The top two hitters in the AMU lineup were then driven in on back-to-back grounders to the shortstop, with Kolby Blanchard and Jose Gonzalez picking up the RBIs.

After a Montreat run in the top of the second, the Gyrenes pushed the lead to three runs in the bottom of the third. The first three hitters of the inning - Kelly, Blanchard, and Gonzalez - all singled, with Gonzalez's single scoring Kelly from second. After moving up to third on an error, Blanchard scored the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Francesco Barbieri. 

The lead again extended in the bottom of the fourth with two more Ave Maria runs. Both runs were scored with two outs, as Hayden Sullivan, who was running for Rocco Pascente, stood on second after a single and a steal. Tanner Kelly blooped a single into right field to score Sullivan, then scored himself on a Blanchard triple to account for AMU's final run. Montreat would get back one run in the fifth, but would not seriously threaten the Gyrenes.

In his Ave Maria debut, Nyk Crumrine tossed five strong innings to earn the win. William Wentz pitched the final two innings for the Gyrenes, striking out three Montreat hitters without allowing a run. Kelly led the effort at the plate in the opener, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a run batted in. 

Ave Maria again grabbed a lead in the first inning of game two, scoring three runs in the opening frame. An error, a single, and a walk loaded the bases, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Gonzalez put the Gyrenes on the board. Ethan Bergkamp added an RBI single, and Barbieri closed out the scoring with a grounder to first base that scored Gonzalez.

AMU's 3-0 lead held until the top of the fifth inning, when the Cavaliers scored twice to cut the Ave Maria lead to 3-2. The Gyrenes did have an answer in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a pair of doubles. Gonzalez doubled to center field with one out in the inning, then scored on a two-out double down the right field line from Barbieri. 

Montreat tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth, but the Gyrenes answered with two of their own to take the lead for good. Tanner Kelly drove in the go-ahead with a fielder's choice with the bases loaded, and Bergkamp drew a bases loaded walk with two outs to extend the lead to 6-4. Montreat scored once in the seventh and had the bases loaded, but Kelton Little enduced a flyout for the final out, earning his first save of the season. 

Kolby Pemberton and Brandon Willoughby combined for three shutout innings to start the game, while Justin David had a team-high three strikeouts en route to his first win of 2022. Gonzalez was the Ave Maria leader at the plate in the nightcap, logging two hits, two runs scored, and a run batted in. 

Sun Conference play begins for the Gyrenes on Friday, as a three-game series against the No. 17 St. Thomas University Bobcats gets underway in Miami Gardens.