WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Across both games of the doubleheader Saturday, Ave Maria and Keiser combined for 46 runs. It is the second-most combined runs this season in a doubleheader for the Ave Maria Baseball team, the first being 48 combined runs scored between AMU and New College in the doubleheader on March 15. Despite all that scoring, the outcome of Saturday was the same as the nine conference doubleheaders that preceded it as the Gyrenes split with the Seahawks to split the series. Ave Maria dropped the first game 17-14 and then came back to win the second game 9-6.

The first game of the doubleheader was a wild one that unfortunately saw the Gyrenes squander an eight-run lead.

Jesus Gonzalez started the scoring about as early as you can, blasting the second pitch he saw for a leadoff homer over the wall in right center field. It was his sixth home run of the season, which tied him with Jordan Crawford and the Kelly brothers for the most on the team.

Ave Maria brought home four more runs in the top of the first. Tanner Kelly came home off an RBI single from Jordan Crawford. After a walk issued to Michael Kelly, Sebastian Cabeza muscled a ball over the fence in left field for a three-run blast that put AMU up 5-0. It was the first home run of the season for Cabeza. Ave Maria batted around in the first inning, sending nine hitters to the plate and bringing home five runs.

Keiser got a run back in the bottom half of the inning.

The Gyrenes immediately answered with a solo shot from Tanner Kelly in the second to build back up the five-run lead. It was the seventh home run of the season for Kelly, giving him the most on the team for the moment.

Keiser again responded with a run in the bottom half to make it 6-2.

In the top of the third inning, the Gyrenes put together another loud inning, this time bringing home four runs. Dakota Jones brought home two with an RBI single and a throwing error from the Seahawks. Crawford brought home two more as he reached safely on an error from the Seahawks' second baseman.

At the end of the third inning, the Gyrenes were up 10-2. However, the bats all of sudden went cold for the Gyrenes and got hot for the Seahawks. Keiser scored six runs in the fourth, six runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth to take a 17-10 lead. Eight runs are tied the largest blown lead for Ave Maria this year and in school history. The Gyrenes lost an eight-run lead to New College earlier in the season. Both of these games are the first since March 30, 2021, when the Gyrenes also had a 10-2 lead against Florida National but eventually lost 14-12.

Down seven, the Gyrenes tried to comeback and managed to score four more runs. Crawford hit the fourth and final homer of the game for Ave Maria with a two-run blast in the seventh inning. The blast was Crawford's seventh of the year and brought him back to even with Tanner Kelly for most on the team.

In the eighth, Gonzalez slapped a single up the middle with the bases loaded to bring home two more runs and bring the Gyrenes back within three. That put the tying run at the plate for the Gyrenes with only one out, but a strikeout and flyout ended the frame.

In the ninth, the Gyrenes got two more baserunners to put the tying run back at the plate, but they were held scoreless as Keiser got the win.

Five of the nine starters for Ave Maria had multi-hit games. Harrison Rossi led the team with a career-high five hits. Tanner Kelly and Crawford were next with three followed by Gonzalez and Cabeza with two. In total, the Gyrenes had 18 hits, the most they have had this season. The Gyrenes also had four home runs, which tied their game on March 15 against New College for the most this season.

After a disappointing game one, the Gyrenes got a comeback of their own in the series finale to get their 10^th split of the season.

Just like the early game, Ave Maria opened the scoring with a home run, this time a two-run blast from Jones. It was his fourth home run of the year.

Keiser got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, but the Gyrenes preserved their lead by stranding three runners. The two teams then went quiet for the next three innings. Kevin Figueredo made his ninth start of the season and settled things down in the second, third and fourth innings.

The Seahawks took the lead in the fifth with a two-run homer, their first of the game and second of the doubleheader.

Ave Maria tied it in the top of the sixth with an RBI single from Jimmy Coffey to bring home Michael Kelly. However, Keiser quickly responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 6-3.

In the top of the seventh, the Gyrenes tied it up again with a three-run frame of their own. Jones scored the first run of the inning, coming home on an error that allowed Michael Kelly to get aboard safely. Crawford scored the next run an at-bat later, coming home on a wild pitch. Kelly then tied the game when he was brought home on a Michael Ciscar sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the seventh, Ave Maria pulled Davis Blair out of the bullpen, and he shut down the Seahawks. Blair tossed the final three innings of the game and only faced two more batters than the minimum and struck out five.

In the top of the ninth, Harrison Rossi hit the final home run of the day for the Gyrenes with a three-run blast that put the Gyrenes on top 9-6. It was his third homer of the season and his biggest dinger to date.

Blair shut down the Seahawks with three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for the Gyrenes. Blair got his first decision as a pitcher for the Gyrenes and his record improves to 1-0.
Rossi's dinger in the ninth also makes this game the fifth last at-bat win of the season for Ave Maria.

With the 10^th doubleheader split of the conference season, the Gyrenes record moves to 10-10 in league play and 20-20 overall. Ave Maria is locked with Keiser and St. Thomas for third place in the conference. Saturday's doubleheader was also the final two road games of the regular season for the Gyrenes. Ave Maria went 9-10 on the road. AMU will close out the regular season with a 10-game homestand.

That homestand starts Friday, April 11, as the Gyrenes welcome in the Southeastern Fire for a doubleheader. Southeastern was ranked sixth in the latest NAIA polls but have had some splits themselves this season.

First pitches for Friday are set for 3 and 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.