MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (February 7, 2020) - No. 2 St. Thomas University (STU) Baseball (5-1) played No. 22 Middle Georgia State University (5-3) in a doubleheader on Friday evening from Paul Demie Mainieri Field. In the first game of the series, the Bobcats defeated the Knights (11-4) and completed the doubleheader sweep with a no-hitter performance from Ernesto Pino.

Game One
Bobcat Starters
Kobe Lopez (Second Base), Joey Thompson (Center Field), Alejandro Rivero (Shortstop), Daniel Mondejar (Catcher), Joshua Martinez (Right Field), Jack Khawly (First Base),  Erik Estevez (Designated Hitter), Alejandro Vazquez (Third Base), Gus Guerra (Left Field) and Chris Coipel (Starting Pitcher)

Game Notes

• Coipel began the game striking out the side in the top of the first inning.
• STU scored in the bottom of the first inning; Mondejar reached on a fielders' choice, bringing in Thompson and giving St. Thomas a 1-0 lead.
• Coipel recorded his fourth strikeout of the game in the top of the second inning.
• Vazquez drove in Khawly with an RBI single to center field, extending the lead to 2-0.
• Guerra followed with an RBI single of his own, bringing in Estevez.
• Thompson added an RBI single, capping off a three-run bottom of the second inning for St. Thomas.
• Following back-to-back hits in the top of the third, Middle Georgia State got on the scoreboard with a fielders' choice.
• The Knights cut the Bobcat lead to 4-2, scoring in the top of the fourth inning on a wild pitch.
• MGSU added a third run in the top of the fifth inning, following an RBI single, with two outs.
• Felipe Soto pitched for 1.2 innings, striking out one; Soto was relieved by Jason Graña. Graña entered the game in the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and third-base, escaping the jam with a strikeout.
• No. 2 STU broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning, as the Bobcats scored four runs. 
• A crucial error by MGSU allowed St. Thomas to score two runs before a Fernandez RBI double scored Rivero and a Khawly sacrifice fly brought in Borroto to finish the inning with STU leading 8-3.
• The Bobcats extended their lead to 10-3, as Fernandez drove in two runs on a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
• Lopez recorded his second hit of the game, an RBI double, bringing in Vazquez and extending the lead to 11-3. 
• Jose Ledesma closed the game, recording the final three outs as STU took game one of the doubleheader, 11-4.

MVBobcats
Chris Coipel: (1-0), 5 IP, six strikeouts
Andrew Fernandez: 2-2, three RBIs
Joey Thompson: 2-5, three runs

Game Two (Seven Innings)
Bobcat Starters
Lopez (Second Base), Thompson (Center-field), Rivero (Shortstop), Andrew Fernandez (Catcher), Jack Khawly (First Base), Nick Izquierdo (Designated Hitter), Cristian Alvarez (Third Base), Onelio Perdomo (Right Field), Guerra (Left Field). Ernesto Pino (Starting Pitcher)

Game Notes

• From the beginning of the game, Pino was dominant; the senior set down the Knights in order in the first inning.
• Khalwy got the Bobcats on the board with a sacrifice fly, bringing in Thompson, giving STU the only run the team needed in the bottom of the first.
• Pino added two more strikeouts to his line, finishing the top of the second and worked around a one-out walk.
• Pino recorded two more strikeouts in the third inning, recording five in the first three innings of the game.
• An MGSU error allowed Martinez to score from first base, extending the lead to 2-0 in favor of St. Thomas.
• Middle Georgia had their best opportunity to score in the top of the sixth inning, as a runner reached third base with one out. Pino continued his mastery of the Knights, striking out the last two hitters to strand the runner at third base.
• Pino closed out his historical performance, setting the Knights down in order in the ninth inning as Khawly caught the final out of the no-hitter.

MVBobcats
Ernesto Pino: No-hitter, 12-strikeouts

Upcoming
No. 2 St. Thomas concludes the weekend series against No. 22 Middle Georgia State University on Saturday, February 8, from Paul Demie Mainieri Field; first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.