AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team rallied in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off victory on Monday afternoon, winning 8-7 over Bryant and Stratton College from New York. The Gyrenes scored twice in their final trip to the plate, scoring on an error to earn their 14th non-conference win of the season in the team's final non-conference game against an out-of-state opponent this season.

Bryant and Stratton started the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the first, while the Gyrenes' first action came in the bottom of the second with a lone run. Jose Gonzalez started the frame with a single to right center, then moved up to second on a balk. After a walk to Dylan Moser, David Leonardi put the Gyrenes on the board with an RBI single to centerfield. 

After two more runs were plated by Bryant and Stratton in the top of the third, the Gyrenes scored three runs of their own to even the score at four. A walk to Daniel Caylor and a single from Tanner Kelly, as well as stolen bases from both players, put runners on second and third with no outs. A triple from Dylan Moser drove in both runners to cut the BSC lead to 4-3, and Leonardi added his second RBI of the afternoon with a game-tying RBI single.

Two more runs scored in the fourth inning for Ave Maria, giving the Gyrenes their first lead of the afternoon. Eli Garcia led off with a walk, then came around to score on a steal of second and one of BSC's five errors on the day. Caylor added the second run after reaching on a walk, scoring on an RBI double from Kolby Blanchard that put Ave Maria ahead 6-4 after four innings.

One run in the sixth inning and two more in the top of the eighth gave Bryant and Stratton a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Leonardi tripled with one out in the ninth, and walks drawn by Ethan Bergkamp and Garcia loaded the bases for AMU with one out, with pinch runner Hayden Sullivan occupying third. Pinch hitter Harrison Rossi hit a grounder to second base, getting the second out at second, but the throw onto first was errant, allowing both Sullivan and Bergkamp to score the clinching runs.

Ave Maria used six pitchers in the victory, the last of which was eventual winning pitcher Brandon Willoughby. Willoughby pitched the final 1.1 innings of the contest, striking out three of the four hitters he faced.

For the first time since February 25 and 26, the Gyrenes will return to Sun Conference play this weekend on the road, as the Gyrenes take on the Webber International University Warriors. Webber is currently 25-5 overall this season, and the Warriors are ranked 15th in the newest NAIA Coaches' Poll. The teams will play one game at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, then will conclude the series in Babson Park with a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday.