AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Gyrenes lost both games of a doubleheader Friday to the RV Point Skyhawks. Ave Maria had trouble all day trying to quiet the Point bats, who put up 25 runs across the two games, taking game one 12-1 and game two 13-10.
Game one was all Point. The Skyhawks opened the scoring in the top of the first, bringing home two runs, and never gave up the lead.
Ave Maria scored their lone run of the game in the bottom of the first with David Leonardi hitting an RBI double to bring home Tanner Kelly.
From then on, the Gyrenes struggled to get runners on base. Ave Maria finished with just four hits, and two of them were in the first inning to score the lone run.
Point on the other hand seemed to score at ease. Five runs crossed the plate in the top of third to make the score 7-1. They got one more in the sixth and then hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh, the final inning in the predetermined seven-inning game, over the tall wall in right field, getting up to 12 runs.
Twelve runs are the second most allowed this season by Gyrene pitching. Point brought those runs home on 16 hits, which, at the time, was tied for the most surrendered by Ave Maria.
Game two saw Point get a very big lead on the Gyrenes again, but this time, the Gyrenes got very close to coming back multiple times in the game.
The Gyenes struck first in the second inning taking a 1-0 lead, but it was immediately avenged with a four-run top of the third from Point. The Skyhawks then added another run in the fourth.
In the bottom half of the inning, Cole Rasbury went deep over the right field wall for his third homer of the season, bringing Brian Williams home with him, to bring the Gyrenes within two.
However, just like in the third inning, Point responded to Ave Maria scoring with a big inning of their own, this time scoring five runs in the top of the fifth. That made the score 10-3.
Again, the Gyrenes tried to get a comeback started with a home run, this time from Francesco Barbieri hitting a solo shot to right field. That was his 12th home run of the season, tying him with David Leonardi for the team lead. It was also the 46th home run for the Gyrenes as a team, who are now only four dingers away from tying the single season record of 50 set in 2022.
The inning ended with only one run for the Gyrenes. Point responded in turn with two runs, giving the biggest deficit of the game, eight runs.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Gyrenes once again attempted to start a comeback, and this time, the defense did their part to keep the Skyhawks at 12. The rally started with three runs, two off a Davis Blair single up the middle and a third coming in when Brian Williams reached safely on an error by the third basemen.
The Skyhawks were kept scoreless in the seventh, and then three more runs came into score for the Gyrenes. Leonardi drew an RBI walk with the bases loaded and then Michael Signorelli and Kyle Kuramoto hit back-to-back RBI singles, to make the score, 12-10. Just like that, the Gyrenes were within two with two innings left to play.
Nobody scored in the eighth, so it would have to be settled in the final frame. Ave Maria got two quick outs but ended up allowing a run to make the score 13-10 in favor of Point.
With their backs against the wall, the Gyrenes need to get three runs to at least extend the inning. Barbieri led the inning off with a single to left, and then two outs later, Luis Rodriguez-Gallo, who had left the game earlier with a swollen index finger, reentered the game and singled to bring the tying run at the plate. Jimmy Coffey worked a really good at bat to get to a full count, but a pitch on the outside edge was called strike three and ended the game. Point walked off the field with a 13-10 win and a doubleheader sweep.
Point ended the game with 20 hits, which was the most allowed by the Gyrenes this season. The game also clocked in at 3 hours and 38 minutes, the longest of the of the season.
With the loss, the Gyrenes fall to 15-15. They will look to avoid the sweep Saturday afternoon in the series finale. First pitch is slated for noon and the game can be live streamed on the Sun Digital Network.
