MIAMI GARDENS, FLA (APRIL 3, 2026) - The St. Thomas University Bobcats took two games from the New College of Florida Mighy Banyons on Friday.
The St. Thomas University Bobcats broke things open with a dominant middle-inning surge to defeat the New College of Florida Mighty Banyons 9–2 in a convincing performance.
St. Thomas struck first in the second inning when Keuri Martinez executed a perfectly placed bunt, reaching on a fielder's choice while driving in Pablo Costales to give the Bobcats an early 1–0 lead.
New College responded in the third, capitalizing on defensive miscues. Rylan Jomisko ripped a double down the left field line to bring home Brecken Fair, tying the game. Moments later, Patrick Fink followed with an RBI single up the middle, pushing the Mighty Banyons ahead 2–1.
That lead, however, would be short-lived.
The Bobcats erupted in the fourth inning with a relentless offensive outburst that changed the game entirely. Ruben Gandarilla delivered the big hit early in the frame, lining a two-run single to center to reclaim the lead. A failed pickoff attempt allowed another run to score, and St. Thomas never let up. Daytan Biegel added a two-run double to extend the advantage, and a New College error later in the inning plated yet another run. By the time the dust settled, the Bobcats had poured in six runs in the inning, taking a commanding 7–2 lead.
St. Thomas added insurance in the sixth inning when Nicholas Alonso launched a two-run home run to left field, scoring Gandarilla and putting the game out of reach at 9–2.
From there, the Bobcats' pitching and defense held firm, shutting down any hopes of a Mighty Banyons comeback and securing the victory.
With the win, St. Thomas showcased both timely hitting and the ability to capitalize on opponents' mistakes, using one explosive inning to take full control and never look back.
WP: Gabriel Rangel
Game Two:
The St. Thomas University Bobcats leaned on timely hitting and aggressive baserunning to pull away late and defeat the New College of Florida Mighty Banyons 8–4.
New College struck first in the second inning, as Wil Gregory delivered an RBI single to left field to give the Mighty Banyons a 1–0 edge. But the Bobcats answered immediately—and emphatically—in the bottom half. Keuri Martinez came through with a two-run single to put St. Thomas ahead, and Luis Suarez followed with an RBI knock to extend the lead to 3–1.
The back-and-forth continued into the third. Patrick Fink pulled New College within one with an RBI single, but St. Thomas responded once again. A wild pitch allowed a run to score, and Lester Martinez added an RBI single to push the Bobcats' lead to 5–2.
New College refused to go away. Domenic Fernandez brought home a run in the fourth, and Luka Dodig capitalized on an outfield error in the fifth to score another, trimming the deficit to 5–4 and putting pressure on the Bobcats heading into the late innings.
That's when St. Thomas created separation.
In the seventh, the Bobcats executed a daring sequence on the basepaths, with Luis Morera stealing home during a double-steal situation to make it 6–4. The momentum carried into the eighth inning, where Suarez added a sacrifice bunt RBI and Daytan Biegel followed with an RBI single to provide crucial insurance.
With the lead extended, the Bobcats held firm defensively down the stretch to secure the 8–4 victory.
WP: Jaime Gonzalez
