MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – No. 2 ranked St. Thomas (13-10, 4-2 TSC) defeated Warner (14-8, 6-3 TSC) 7-2 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday at Paul Demie Mainieri Field to clinch the three-game conference series over the Royals.  Warner won the first game of the doubleheader 9-7.

Andrew Denis (2-2) earned the victory in the second game of the doubleheader after allowing two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings while striking out six.  Cole Roark (4-1) took the loss for the Royals. 

Erne Valdes pitched 2.1 perfect innings in relief of Denis, striking out three of the seven batters he faced.  Chris Rodriguez did not allow a hit in the ninth inning to close out the win.

In the win, the Bobcats jumped ahead to a 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Jose Gomez that scored Adam Duarte.  Warner tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third, Gomez delivered with a go-ahead, two-run home run to score Kendrick Gutierrez.  Oscar Rodriguez followed with a three-RBI double to left field to bust open a 6-1 advantage.  Gutierrez provided some more insurance in the fourth inning with an RBI-single to center field that scored Duarte.

In the first game, Warner ran out to leads of 7-0 and later 9-2.  The Bobcats rallied with a run in the fourth followed by three runs in the sixth highlighted by a three-run home run by Steven Fischer. However, STU was held scoreless in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings as the Royals held on for the win.

The Bobcats return to action on Monday with a non-conference doubleheader vs. Purdue-North Central beginning at 3 p.m. at Paul Demie Mainieri Field.

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