AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Gyrenes won games two and three of their home opening series to sweep the Thomas Night Hawks and start the 2023 season 3-0. The bats were hot in both games, with the Gyrenes combining for 28 runs over the two games.
Game two of the series started Friday, January 27, but was suspended after six innings due to lack of sunlight. The game was continued Saturday morning and saw the Gyrenes win 13-3, mercy ruling the Night Hawks in eight innings.
Thomas got on the board first, scoring a run in both the second and third innings to get up 2-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Ave Maria evened up the game with an RBI singles from Tynan Shahidi and Daniel Caylor. The lead wouldn't last long however as in the subsequent half inning, the Night Hawks' Bryce Biting slapped a RBI single to center field, retaking the lead 3-2.
In the bottom of the sixth with two runners in scoring position, Caylor got his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly that scored Francesco Barbieri from third base. The other runner, David Leonardi, then took it upon himself to get home too. He advanced to third on a passed ball, then rushed home to scored after the catcher missed the throw to third following the passed ball. That put the Gyrenes up 4-3 at the end of six innings. Afterwards, both teams decided to suspend play and finish the final three innings the next morning.
Only two innings got played however as Ave Maria smashed the ball and brought home nine runs in the seventh and eighth, invoking the 10-run mercy rule that ended the game.
In the seventh inning, one run was plated off an RBI sac fly from Tanner Kelly that scored Jimmy Coffey. The other eight runs were scored in the eighth.
Caylor got things started with a 2-RBI single that scored Barbieri and Eric Havner and moved Leonardi to third. A couple of batters later and with the bases loaded again, Cole Rasbury singled to right that scored Leonardi, making it 7-3. Caylor, who was on second, stopped at third, but got caught in a pickle when the runner who started on first, Michael Kelly, tried to advance to third. Kelly made it to third safely, but Caylor was tagged out trying to go home to make room for Kelly. Rasbury took the opportunity to advance to second amid the confusion.
The pickle didn't damper AMU's spirits however, and they continued to pour on the runs. Tanner Kelly hit an RBI single that scored his brother, Rasbury scored off a wild pitch, and Shahidi then hit an RBI single that scored Tanner Kelly. This all made it 11-3. Finally, with the bases loaded again, Leonardi delivered the final blow, a hard grounder that bounced off the glove of the Night Hawks third baseman and rolled into left field, allowing Shahidi and Jose Gonzalez to score, ending the game at 13-3.
The eight runs in the eighth inning were the most runs the Gyrenes had scored in a single inning since April 12, 2022, when they put 9 up in the third inning against the Fort Lauderdale Eagles.
Game three was more of the same, with the Gyrenes getting out to double digits for the third straight time to start the season. The only difference was Thomas stuck back and made it a game in the final innings. Ave Maria proved to be victorious though, winning 15-10.
Like the first two games of the series, Thomas got on the board first and then Ave Maria responded a couple innings later to take the lead. This time, it was in the bottom of the third and Tanner Kelly smashed his first home run of the season, scoring himself and Coffey and putting AMU up 2-1.
The Night Hawks tied it in the top of the fourth, but Leonardi quickly gave the Gyrenes the lead back with his second home run of the season, this time a solo shot to left field, and AMU was up 3-2. From here the Gyrenes never trailed again in the game. The fourth inning also saw Coffey hit an RBI double, Tanner Kelly hit an RBI single, and Tynan Shahidi record an RBI fielder's choice, bringing home Rasbury and putting Ave Maria up 6-2. The final run of the inning was scored off a Thomas balk that brought home Shahidi.
AMU had another big inning in the sixth, starting with Rasbury and Gonzalez getting their first home runs of the season, Rasbury and two-run homer and Gonzalez being a solo shot, and putting the Gyrenes up 10-2. Ave hit five homers over the three games, which is the most among Sun Conference teams this weekend. It is however, three shy of the eight home runs they belted in their home opening series last season against the Fort Lauderdale Eagles.
Still in the sixth, Caylor accounted for the last four runs the Gyrenes would bring across the plate. With the bases loaded, he crushed a double to the center field wall that brought home all three baserunners. Then, he stole third base and advanced home on a wild pitch, putting Ave Maria up 14-2, well in the range of mercy ruling the Night Hawks for the second time in a row.
Unfortunately, Thomas did not go down without a fight in game three, scoring four runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to get back to within four of the Gyrenes. This spoiled the mercy rule for the Gyrenes, but they were still able to score a final run in the bottom of the eighth, a Coffey sac fly that scored Leonardi, and close out a 1-2-3 ninth to win the game 15-10.
The combined 40 runs the Gyrenes scored over the three games are the most runs they have ever scored in a three game series against a common opponent in school history.
With the wins, the Gyrenes improve to 3-0 on the 2023. The Gyrenes have a midweek game against Webber Tuesday, January 31 and then travel to Brewton-Parker College to take on the Barons in a three game set next weekend. The Gyrenes' next home game is February 7, a double header against Ohio Christian.
