AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Baseball team scored the most runs this weekend in the series finale against Oklahoma Wesleyan, but it wasn't enough as the Gyrenes fell 11-6 to the Eagles. A disastrous sixth inning created a deficit to big for the Gyrenes to overcome.
Much like game one of this non-conference series, Oklahoma Wesleyan opened the scoring in the first inning, this time with three runs. All three runs were scored on a bases loaded double.
Starter Kevin Figueredo settled things down after the opening frame, working back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the second and the third. The Eagles added to their lead with a solo home run in the fourth, but Figueredo kept things under control for the rest of the inning and into the fifth.
The Gyrenes got a run back in the bottom of the fourth off an RBI single from Caleb Metzen to bring the deficit back down to three. AMU tacked on a second run in the fifth off another RBI single, this time from Kyle Van Liere.
Down by just two runs, the Gyrenes could feel the momentum shifting to them, but the Eagles took it back before it fully got into the Ave Maria dugout. In the sixth inning, the Eagles brought home five runs to take a 9-2 lead. Two of the runs were brought home by bases loaded hit by pitches.
Now down seven, the Gyrenes had a tough hill to climb, but they didn't give up. In the bottom half of the frame, Dakota Jones went deep to right field for his first homer of the season. It was a two-run blast as Jones brought home Metzen with him.
In the eighth, the Gyrenes got another two-run dinger, this time off the bat of Tanner Kelly. It was the second homer of the season for Kelly and the second multi-home run for the Gyrenes.
Ave Maria was back within three of the Eagles at 9-6, but once again Oklahoma Wesleyan lit up the scoreboard to push the Gyrenes away. OKWU added two runs in the top of the ninth and then worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the win and the sweep.
With the loss, the Gyrenes fall to 4-7 on the year. It is the series loss of the season for the Gyrenes, the first time they were swept since their conference series against Southeastern last season.
Ave Maria is on the road for the rest of the month as they only had three home games at Bowie's Ballpark scheduled for the month of February. The Gyrenes return to the diamond Friday, February 14, when they travel north to take on Webber. It is just one game against the Warriors for Ave Maria, who will then drive eight minutes down the road to take on the Warner Royals Saturday, February 15.
