Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 St. Thomas 12, Lindsey Wilson 5 (game 1)
St. Thomas 11, Lindsey Wilson 7 (game 2, 7 inn)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - St. Thomas (3-0), ranked no. 1 in the nation by Perfect Game and no. 2 in the NAIA Coaches Poll, took the first two games of a four-game series vs. Lindsay Wilson (0-2, #11 Perfect Game, #7 NAIA) on Friday night at Paul Demie Mainieri Field.  The Bobcats won the first game 12-5, then swept the doubleheader with a 11-7 victory in game two.

In the opening contest, Tyeler Checkley (1-0) pitched the final 2.1 innings to earn the win.  Starting pitcher Alex Viera was outstanding, going 5 innings, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out six with no walks.  Alan Saumell was also effective in relief.  In total, Bobcat pitchers registered 10 strikeouts.

In game one, the Bobcats fell behind in the top of the first on a solo home run by Aaron Ashton.  STU responded with a RBI double that scored Michael Centeno to tie the game 1-1.  In the bottom of the third, Centeno then hit a triple before beign driven home on a sacrifice fly by Jose Gomez to give the Bobcats the lead.

Two more runs came home in the fourth and another run in the fifth, giving St. Thomas a 5-1 lead.  Lindsey Wilson came back with four runs in the top of the seventh capped by a bases loaded double by Ashton to tie the game. 

STU answered by batting around in a monster 6-run inning in the bottom of the seventh highlighted by a three-RBI double by Gomez that blew the game open.  Oscar Rodriguez hit a RBI single for an insurance run in the eighth.

Rodriguez finished the game 4-for-5 with double, two RBI, and two runs scored.  Gomez finished 1-of-4 with four RBI with a double and a sacrifice fly.  Ramirez went 2-of-5 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.  Kendrick Gutierrez was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

In game two scheduled for seven innings, Lindsey Wilson once again jumped to an early lead scoring a run in the top of the first.  STU responded with three runs in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez and RBI-singles by Kendrick Gutierrez and Jack Diaz.

A RBI-single by Gomez drove in Adam Duarte to extend the lead to 4-1 after two innings.  LWC cut the lead to 4-3 before Nick Canino recored his first career RBI as a Bobcat to drive in Rodriguez.  Centeno hit a three-run double followed by a solo home run by Oscar Aguirre that gave STU a 9-5 lead.

LWC cut the lead to 9-7, before a sacrifice fly by Gomez that scored Duarte gave the Bobcats a three-run lead.

The two teams return to action Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at Paul Demie Mainieri Field.