Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The St. Thomas baseball team, ranked 13th in the preseason NAIA Coaches Poll, opened up its 2013 campaign with doubleheader sweep over Edward Waters Friday at Paul Demie Mainieri Field at Frank Esposito Stadium.  In the opening game, St. Thomas defeated Edward Waters 11-1 in a game called in the bottom of the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule.  The Bobcats followed up with a 4-0 shutout over the Tigers.

In game one, STU was led by first baseman Ozney Guillen who went three-for-three with a double, an RBI and a run scored.  Guillen hit a double in his first at bat as a Bobcat in the first inning.  The two teams remained scoreless through three innings, before Edward Waters took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. 

The lead did not hold up for long though as the Bobcats responded with a five-run bottom of the fourth as Nico Hernandez, Michael De Jesus and Guillen all drove in runs.  The offense would continue with another run in the fifth inning and five more runs in the sixth for the Bobcats, invoking the ten-run rule.

Michael Arostegui started the opener for St. Thomas and pitched 4.0 innings allowing one unearned runs on three hits while striking out two and walking two.  Arostegui got in trouble in the fifth loading the bases with no outs.  Relief pitcher Steven Colon entered the game and proceeded to get out of the inning without allowing any damage.  Colon would finish off the Tigers with a scoreless sixth inning as well. 

The second game of the doubleheader marked the St. Thomas debut of starting pitcher Eddie Cody.  The junior transfer from Palm Beach State College made his debut a memorable one, fanning eight of the 20 batters he faced over six scoreless innings.  Cody's control was outstanding, allowing just two hits and zero walks.

The relief pitching was equally superb with Rene Lozano retiring the Tigers 1-2-3 in the seventh, followed by Ricky Claudio striking out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth.  Ashley Bulluck closed out the game and preserved the shutout in the ninth.

Offensively, shortstop Michael Hernandez went two-for-two with three RBI and left fielder Jerry Downs drove in a run as well.  Miguel Jimenez went two-for-four and scored two runs.


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