AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Gyrenes led for most of the game Saturday afternoon, but a late inning surge from the Skyhawks resulted in the third sweep of the Gyrenes this season. Both teams hit a home run in a big-time spot, but it was Point's that proved to be the game winner.
The series finale started off as good as the Gyrenes could have hoped for. Ave Maria brought home a run in each of the first four innings to take a 5-0 lead. Francesco Barbieri scored on a fielder's choice in the first, Kyle Kuramoto hit an RBI triple in the second and came home to score on an error a few batters later, David Leonardi scored on a fielder's choice in the third and finally Kyle Van Liere crossed home plate on an RBI groundout in the fourth.
On the mound, starter Kevin Figueredo was cruising. Three spotless innings in the first six and just three base runners across the other three innings, two getting on via a hit and one reaching on an error. Figueredo also stat down four batters in the first six innings.
However, it was in the seventh when Point mounted a comeback. A single, hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases with nobody out for the Skyhawks. The Gyrenes reached into the bullpen to relieve Figueredo and pulled out Cam Horner. It was the juniors first relief appearance since April 19, 2022, his freshman year, where he also came in for Figueredo. The Gyrenes then traded runs for outs, getting the next two batters to flyout and groundout, but those also brought home two runs for the Skyhawks. A groundout ended the inning and stopped the damage at two.
In the top of the eighth, the Skyhawks completed their comeback and brought home five runs to take a 7-5 lead. Point loaded the bases for the second inning in a row, but this time brought home their runners without letting the Gyrenes get outs in return.
Now trailing for the first time, the Gyrenes only had two innings left to get back in the game. With a runner on first and one out, Tanner Kelly did just that hitting a two-run bomb to tie the game up at seven. It was his fourth home run of the season and his first hit of the game extending his on-base streak to all 31 games, the second-most in program history and 12 games away from tying the record he set last season.
Neither team broke the tie in the ninth inning, so they headed into extra innings for the second time at Bowie's Ballpark this season.
Blake Albritton, who entered the game in the ninth for Cam Horner, got the first two outs in the top of the tenth. However, Danny Gonzalez hit the second home run of the series for the Skyhawks and put Point on top 8-7.
Down again in the late stages of the ballgame, the Gyrenes tried to mount another comeback. Ave Maria got a runner on via an error by the Skyhawks, but then a weird non-infield fly rule double play ended the game for the Skyhawks.
With the loss, the Gyrenes fall to 15-16 on the season, their first time under .500 since March 9. The loss also completes the sweep, the third against the Gyrenes this season.
Ave Maria will look to get back in a midweek doubleheader April 9 against the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. The Gyrenes are 4-0 against NCF in their inaugural season of baseball and will look to keep that streak going on Tuesday. The two games will be the final games of an 11-game homestand dating back to March 23. Both games can be live streamed on the Sun Digital Network.
