BRADENTON, Fla. — There was no shortage of runs Saturday between the Ave Maria Baseball team and the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. The two teams combined for 48 runs over the two games of a doubleheader. Each team got a win as they split the doubleheader and the weekend series. Ave Maria won the first game 14-7 while New College took the second game 14-13.
The long ball was the key to the Gyrenes' victory in game one, which was a shortened seven-inning ball game. Ave Maria hit four home runs, accounting for 11 of their 14 runs.
Tanner Kelly got the home run party started with a grand slam in the second inning. It is the fifth home run of the season for Kelly and the first grand slam since David Leonardi hit one against Florida Memorial March 24, 2024. It was also the first grand slam of his collegiate career. Ave Sebastian Cabeza had an RBI double right before the grand slam and the Gyrenes put up five runs in the inning.
Michael Kelly hit the next home run for the Gyrenes with a solo shot in the fifth inning. It was also his fifth home run of the season, tying him with his brother and Jesus Gonzalez for the most on the team.
In that same frame, Harrison Rossi went deep for his second home run of the season, bringing home Jimmy Coffey with him to put Ave Maria up 9-2.
New College scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to get within two of the Gyrenes, but Ave Maria did not panic. The Gyrenes brought home two runs in the sixth inning to get back up by four runs.
In the seventh, Dakota Jones hit the fourth and final dinger of the game for Ave Maria, this one another two run blast that scored him and Tanner Kelly. It was the third home run of the season for Jones. Coffey added a sacrifice fly a little bit later to make sure the Gyrenes doubled up the Mighty Banyans.
Four home runs in a game is the most this season and the tenth time the Gyrenes have had four or more home runs in a game. Five of those previous nine games were last season for the Gyrenes.
On the mound, Cam Horner got his fourth win of the season, despite giving up seven runs.
Ave Maria had the same firepower in game two as they did in game one but could not hold onto the lead. The Gyrenes scored eight runs in the first four innings. The big inning was the third with the Gyrenes bringing home four runs. The fourth and final run was scored off a double steal with Tanner Kelly swiping home. Crawford hit a solo shot in the fourth inning to put AMU up 8-0.
New College got a run back in the bottom of the fourth to start their comeback. The Mighty Banyans added four runs in the sixth to make it a three-run ball game.
Ave Maria added two runs in the seventh, but New College responded with two of their own.
The Gyrenes then scored three top of the eighth to give them a 13-7 lead. AMU thought that was enough, but in the bottom half of the inning, New College hit a three-run bomb and a grand slam for seven total runs, giving them a one-run lead.
In the top of the ninth, the Gyrenes were shocked they had the lost the lead. They put the tying run on the bases but couldn't bring him home as they fell 14-13.
Similarly to their home runs in the first game, Ave Maria ripped four doubles in the second game, tying a season-high.
Tanner Kelly led the team with seven hits over the two games. Jimmy Coffey recorded a hit in both games, bumping his hit streak to 18 games. He is one away from tying for the second longest streak in school history and three away from tying the longest.
On the mound in game two, Kevin Figueredo had one of his best starts, tossing five innings with only one run off two hits allowed and six strikeouts. It unfortunately was the bullpen the lost the game.
With the split, Ave Maria's record moves to 14-13 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The Gyrenes have split all four of the conference doubleheaders so far in 2025.
Ave Maria is back home for their next conference series against the St. Thomas Bobcats. The Bobcats opened their conference schedule over the weekend and split with the Florida Memorial Lions. In fact, all four series in the Sun Conference over the weekends were splits, creating an eight-way tie for first place among all eight teams.
The Gyrenes will play two doubleheaders against St. Thomas Friday and Saturday, March 21-22. First pitches for Friday are set for 3 and 6 p.m. and the games will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
