AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University baseball team took the opener of their Sun Conference series with the Florida Memorial University Lions on Friday afternoon, pulling away late for an 11-6 victory at Bowie's Ballpark in Ave Maria. The Gyrenes held the Lions scoreless for the final seven innings on Friday afternoon, and scored the final seven runs of the day to take a 1-0 lead in the conference series.

Florida Memorial started the game with two runs in the top of the first, but the Gyrenes' answer was four of their own in the bottom half. A Dylan Moser double tied the game at two, scoring Tanner Kelly and Jose Gonzalez, who had reached base on a double and an error, respectively. After a walk to David Leonardi, Rocco Pascente doubled home both Moser and Leonardi to give AMU their first lead of the day at 4-2.

The Lions claimed the lead back in the second inning, scoring four runs to take a 6-4 lead that would last until the bottom of the fifth. There, Ave Maria would score three runs to retake the lead, this time for good. Three straight singles from Jimmy Coffey, Daniel Caylor, and Tanner Kelly loaded the bases, with a Kolby Blanchard sacrifice fly and a Jose Gonzalez grounder tying the score at six. Moser added his third RBI of the day with a single that put the Gyrenes ahead.

Ave Maria's lead grew again in the bottom of the sixth, as three more runs crossed the plate. After a walk to Francesco Barbieri and a single from Coffey, Caylor drove in Ave Maria's eighth run of the day with its second sacrifice fly. An RBI double from Kelly extended the lead to 9-6, and Gonzalez drove in the final run of the inning with an infield single to third base.

AMU's last of the seven consecutive runs came in the seventh, courtesy of a Florida Memorial miscue. Moser singled and Pascente walked, and were lifted for pinch runners Hayden Sullivan and Eli Garcia. A double steal saw both runners move into scoring position, and an error from the FMU catcher allowed Sullivan to score, accounting for the eleventh and final run of the day for the Gyrenes.

Cameron Horner gave up six runs in the first two innings, but then settled in for six shutout innings, eventually earning the win. Kelton Little shut the door in the ninth with a scoreless frame. At the plate, Kelly and Moser led the way with three hits each, while Moser was the leading run producer with three RBIs and Kelly accounted for three of the team's eleven runs scored.

Friday's win pulled Ave Maria even with Florida Memorial for seventh place in the league, just a half game behind USCB for the all-important sixth spot. Saturday's doubleheader will be a pivotal one between the Gyrenes and the Lions, with Ave Maria needing just one win to claim the series and the tiebreaker that goes with it. First pitch of the doubleheader at Bowie's Ballpark is slated for noon.