MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - No. 2 St. Thomas University (10-3) Bobcats Baseball team split mid-week match-ups against Ave Maria (7-11) and NCAA Division II opponent, Nova Southeastern University (6-8). STU defeated Ave Maria in a non-conference slugfest, winning 18-16 and lost to NSU 11-7 from Paul Demie Mainieri Field.

NO. 2 BOBCATS SLUG WAY PAST GYRENES

Bobcat Starters
Kobe Lopez (Shortstop), Joey Thompson (Center Field), Alejandro Rivero (Third Base), Daniel Mondejar (Catcher), Andrew Fernandez (Designated Hitter), Jack Khawly (First Base), Joshua Martinez (Right Field), Cristian Alvarez (Second Base), Gus Guerra (Left Field), Justin Kenyon (Pitcher)

Game Notes

• The offense started early and often for the Bobcats, as Lopez and Thompson both reached base. Following a Mondejar hit-by-pitch, STU had the bases loaded for Khawly.
• Khawly doubled down the right-field line, clearing the bases, as St. Thomas took a 3-0 lead.
• Kenyon made his second consecutive start for the Bobcats, both against Ave Maria.
• AMU plated a run in the bottom of the first inning, cutting the STU lead to 3-1.
• Following a lead-off hit-by-pitch in the top of the second inning, the Gyrenes recorded six consecutive outs against the Bobcats.
• St. Thomas got back on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning, as Martinez scored on an error.
• Two batters later, Thompson doubled to right field, plating and Guerra and Alvarez as the Bobcats took a 6-1 lead.
• STU capped off the four-run inning with another run off an error, as Thompson came in to score, extending the lead to 7-1.
• Ave Maria erupted for a seven-run bottom of the fourth inning to take an 8-7 lead.
• Three straight singles by the Gyrenes chased Kenyon, as the Bobcats brought in Michael Pope - Diaz. 
• Pope - Diaz recorded the final two outs but allowed the last four runs of the inning to score, as AMU took over the lead, 8-7.
• Alvarez and Guerra both reached base, setting the table for the top of the lineup in the beginning of the fifth inning. Lopez doubled in both runners, reclaiming the Bobcats advantage at 9-8.
• Joel Rivero entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning for STU and allowed AMU to tie the game with an RBI groundout.
• St. Thomas batted around and scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning, starting with a lead-off double by Fernandez.
• Fernandez came around to score on an RBI fielder's choices, putting the score at 10-9.
• Two batters later, Lopez provided more runs for the Bobcats, recording a single and bringing in Guerra and Daniel Lowry. 
• Mondejar added to the run column, scoring Lopez on an RBI single.
• Fernandez brought in Thompson with a bases-loaded walk, capping off the five-run inning, as St. Thomas took a 14-9 lead.
• Ave Maria plated three runs off of a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, cutting the lead to 14-12.
• Mondejar drove in Guerra in the top of the seventh inning as the Bobcats kept creating distance over the Gyrenes, 16-12.
• AMU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, as St. Thomas needed three pitchers to get out of the inning (Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Ledesma and Jason Grana)
• After allowing Ave Maria to tie the game on a sacrifice fly, Grana recorded the final three outs of the inning and sending the game to the eighth inning tied 16-16.
• In the top of the eighth inning, Lowry and Guerra both came into score on wild pitches, as the Bobcats took an 18-16 lead.
• Grana ended the game recording the final six outs, preserving the lead and the win for St. Thomas, 18-16.

MVBobcats
Kobe Lopez: 2-3, three RBIs
Joey Thompson: 3-5, three RBIs, three runs
Jason Grana: (2-0), three strikeouts.

LATE GRAND SLAM SENDS NSU PAST No. 2 STU

Bobcat Starters
Lopez (Second Base), Khawly (First Base), Rivero (Third Base), Mondejar (Catcher), Fernandez (Designated Hitter), Thompson (Center Field), Martinez (Right Field), Alejandro Vazquez (Shortstop), Guerra (Left Field), JJ Galvis (Pitcher)

Game Notes

• JJ Galvis made his first start of the season for St. Thomas, lasting three innings and allowing one run.
• NSU got on the scoreboard to open the game, scoring on a sacrifice fly, following a lead-off double. 
• St. Thomas responded right away, tying the game on Rivero's first home run of the season. 
• Two batters later, Fernandez doubled to left field to plate Mondejar, as the Bobcats took a 2-1 lead.
• STU extended the advantage in the bottom of the third with Thompson scoring on a Shark error, as STU led 3-1.
• Felipe Soto relieved Galvis in the top of the fourth and set down the Sharks in order.
• Mondejar added an RBI in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating Guerra on a single.
• Luis Gonzalez entered the game in the fifth inning for St. Thomas, after Soto loaded the bases. The freshman recorded three strikeouts but allowed a run on a wild pitch, shrinking the lead to 4-2.
• Gonzalez added two more strikeouts in the top of the sixth, moving his total to five on the game. 
• Sawyer Losey made his second appearance of the season in the top of the seventh inning and loaded the bases.
• Perez Nichols relieved Losey, entering with the bases loaded and induced a double play on the first batter he faced.
• Nichols loaded the bases again and allowed a grand slam, as NSU took a 7-4 lead.
• The Sharks added two insurance runs in the eighth, extending the lead to 10-4.
• Guerra and Rivero scored in the eighth inning, as STU attempted a late-rally against the Sharks, bringing the score to 10-6.
• NSU plated their eleventh run of the game in the top of the ninth, against Pope-Diaz.
• Fernandez launched his second home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth, cutting the deficit to 11-7.
• Three Bobcat pinch-hitters went down in order, as STU lost the mid-week game against Nova Southeastern, 11-7.

Upcoming
No. 2 St. Thomas plays Warner University in a Sun Conference series, starting on Friday, February 28, from Paul Demie Mainieri Field; first pitch is 6 p.m.