MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- St. Thomas (19-8) closed out the STU Invitational with a win against Adelphi (4-4) on Saturday night at Paul Demie Mainieri Field. Oscar Rodriguez went 5-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Orlando Rivera scored four runs, while drawing three walks.
 
Starting pitcher Kenny Roder pitched his third consecutive complete game, allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out eight.

The Bobcats came in to this game with a 30-hit wonder the night before. Fans were ready for a show and that they got.

An error by the Panthers starting pitcher helped position the Bobcats to bring in the first run of the game. A bullet hit by Oscar Rodriguez to the shortstop gave Orlando Rivera the time to score the opening run for St. Thomas. Three batters later, German Morales assisted in the addition to the score line with a line drive RBI single.

Adelphi held off the Bobcats defensively in both the second and third innings, not allowing a single run cross the bag.

The Bobcats came to play some hefty defense as well. At the top of the third with one man on, Kenny Roder had the battle in his hands with a 1-2 count, two outs. A well-hit pitch by the AU batter looked to be a goner, but David Palenzuela was there to save Roder by denying the Panthers a homerun with a beautiful robbing grab.

Bottom of the fourth inning was the inning of runs for the Bobcats. Five runs scored in the inning which consisted of an error from the AU pitcher off of a brilliant bunt from Oscar Rodriguez and balk, a Morales 2 RBI line drive double to center and a Brandon Paez RBI single down the middle.

The Bobcats brought in yet again five more runs in the seventh, tying the most runs scored in an inning in this game. Two more runs would come in in the eighth to truly seal this victory for St. Thomas in the final game of the STU Invitational.

Top player of the night for the Bobcats was DH Oscar Rodriguez who went a perfect 5-for-5 on the night, bringing three RBI and scoring three runs himself, while also tacking on a stolen base. Some notable numbers from the rest of the team came from Randy Oliva who went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs, and German Morales who closed out his night 2-for-5, adding three RBI and one run with double under his belt.

On the defensive end, Roder closed out yet another game, marking his third game in a row in which he pitched from beginning to end. His final line read: 9 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 1 BB.

St. Thomas went 7-2 this past week in the STU Invitational, ultimately helping them improve to 19-8 on the season.

Next up for the Bobcats is a home regular season game against conference foe Keiser on Tuesday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at Paul Demie Mainieri Field.

Come out and support!