AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Baseball team dropped the series finale to Warner Saturday afternoon as the Gyrenes lost 7-2. AMU tried for some late game heroics but fell a few hits short as they settled for the series split with the Royals.
Warner scored the first five runs of the game, bringing home two runs in the first inning and then a single run in the third, sixth and seventh frames.
Luke Burley made his first start of the season and tossed the opening two frames and some change, allowing three runs off four hits and three walks. Only one of the runs was earned as the Gyrenes had some miscues on defense.
Joseph Ferri was first out of the bullpen for the Gyrenes and tossed a solid two scoreless innings. Ferri logged one strikeout during his time on the mound and faced just two batters over the minimum.
Vance Sullivan followed him and struck out two batters but also allowed two runs giving the Royals a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Gyrenes showed a little life. Ri'Shon Pearl got the inning started with a leadoff walk. After a strikeout, Karson Green smashed a ball over the left field fence for his second homer of the series, giving Ave Maria their lone two runs. It was sixth home run of the season for the Gyrenes who now have two blasts from Green, Kyle Magdic and Edwin Silverio Jr.
The Gyrenes kept threatening in the seventh as they loaded the bases after Green's homer with singles from Jake LaVine and Caleb Metzen and a hit by pitch issued to Patrick Corley. LaVine's singe was his third hit of the game, tying the season-high for the team.
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Gyrenes would get as a double play ended the inning.
Warner added two runs in the top of the ninth and allowed just one more baserunner to the Gyrenes in the final two frames as the Royals wrapped the game up.
With the loss, Ave Maria falls to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
The Gyrenes' next home game is March 13 as they start another series with the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. The four games will be played over two days with back-to-back doubleheaders. All four games will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.
