VALDOSTA, Ga.- The Ave Maria University baseball team picked up a much-needed sweep in Sun Conference play on Friday, taking two games from the Thomas University Night Hawks at Billy Grant Field on the campus of Valdosta State University. The wins gave Ave Maria their second series victory of the season, and kept AMU's hopes for a spot in The Sun Conference Tournament very much alive.

The Gyrenes started quickly in the opening game of the series, building a 6-0 lead in the first inning and a half. The Gyrenes scored four runs in the top of the first, thanks to a bases loaded hit by pitch to David Leonardi, a Kolby Blanchard sacrifice fly, a passed ball, and a Rocco Pascente single. Two more runs crossed the plate in the second, a product of an RBI groundout by Jose Gonzalez and a run-scoring single from Dylan Moser.

Thomas would score the game's next five runs, cutting the AMU to 6-5 by the end of the fourth. Ave Maria built the lead back up to three runs in the top of the sixth, scoring twice. Moser drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly to center, with an ensuing error allowing the second run to score. Thomas got back within one in the bottom half, then took a 10-8 lead with three more in the seventh.

Trailing by two runs, the Gyrenes battled back to even the score at ten in the top of the eighth. After Daniel Caylor led off the frame with a double, Tanner Kelly blasted a game-tying home run, his fourth of the season - all of which have come in the last two weeks. Thomas would be able to retake the lead in the bottom half, and held an 11-10 lead entering the ninth. 

Down to their final three outs, the Gyrenes wasted little time in tying the game. Rocco Pascente drilled a solo home run, evening the score at eleven. AMU then put runners on second and third on a walk, a hit by pitch, and a passed ball, and Kelly came up big again with the go-ahead sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the ninth, three walks would load the bases for Thomas, but Kelton Little was able to escape the jam and give the Gyrenes the win.

In the first inning of game two, the teams traded runs, with both clubs scoring twice in the opening frame. A leadoff single from Kelly would be AMU's only hit in the frame, as the two Gyrene runs would be scored on a Thomas error that scored Kelly, and a passed ball that plated Moser.

TU took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third, but Ave Maria would reclaim the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning with a four-spot. AMU loaded the bases on singles from Kelly and Gonzalez, as well as a walk to Leonardi. 

The lead runner, Kelly, would scored on a passed ball, and the other two scored as Pascente continued his clutch hitting with a two-run double that gave Ave Maria the lead. Pascente scored himself on a pinch-hit single from Ethan Bergkamp, increasing the Gyrene lead to 6-4.

Two more runs were added to the Gyrene total with one swing of the bat. Caylor started the frame with a single, but Kelly replaced him on first following a fielder's choice. The next batter, Jose Gonzalez, launched his seventh home run of the season for what would prove to be the final runs of the day for either team. 

Kolby Pemberton came out of the bullpen in the third inning, and proceeded to completely shut down the Night Hawks. The righthander had his best outing as a Gyrene, striking out seven hitters over 6.2 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits. At the plate, Kelly, Gonzalez, and Moser all had two hits.

Ave Maria will go for the sweep Saturday afternoon, with first pitch of the finale scheduled for noon in Thomasville.