Gyrene Baseball Opens Season Against #20 Ranked Warner University

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

RSS

AMU held their own through seven innings against #20 ranked Warner University in the season opener. Above, University Chancellor Tom Monaghan throws the first pitch to Head Coach Shawn Summe.

Baseball team competes but takes 9-5 loss in program's first ever game.

University chancellor Tom Monaghan threw the first pitch Tuesday night in front of a large and supportive Ave Maria crowd to mark the beginning of Ave Maria University’s inaugural baseball season. The Gyrenes, under the direction of Head Coach Shawn Summe, took the field for the first time and faced off against a Warner University that is currently ranked #20 in the national NAIA poll.

After a scoreless first inning from both teams, Warner struck first offensively with 2 runs. AMU answered with a run of their own sparked by Justin Repullo’s double to the right field gap. Repullo later scored on a wild pitch to put the score at 2-1. Neither team would score again until the 5th inning when Warner scored 2 unearned runs on a leadoff walk and a Gyrene error to put the Warner Royals up 4-1.

In the bottom of the 5th, AMU’s Travis Isensee led off and reached first base on a catcher’s interference call. Freshman Gabe Loweree singled to right field to move Isensee to second. Junior Brian Trymbiski then reached on an error. With Loweree and Trymbiski on base, Justin Repullo singled and scored Loweree. Then, third baseman and freshman Trace McDermott came up big for the Gyrenes with a 2 RBI double to right center scoring Trymbiski and Repullo. This tied the game at 4-4 going into the 6th inning.

Warner and Ave Maria each scored an unearned run in the 6th to keep the game tied 5-5 until the 8th inning. A leadoff walk and 3 errors gave the Royals 2 runs to put Warner up 7-5 over the young Gyrene team. Warner added 2 more in the final inning to walk out with the 9-5 win. Despite the loss, there were many positive things to be noted for AMU’s baseball as they held their own for seven innings against the #20 ranked Royals.

The Gyrenes had 7 hits to Warner’s 6 hits, but lead-off walks errors on defense cost AMU down the stretch. Trace McDermoot went 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI’s, and Justin Repullo was 2-5 with the first hit in the program’s history when he smashed a double to right field to lead off the inning. Repullo had an RBI and 2 runs scored on the night. Matt McKay, Brian Trymbiski, and Gabe Loweree each had one hit for AMU.

Being the first game of the season, AMU gave the ball to six different pitchers with low pitch counts. Sophomore Justin James had two solid innings of work allowing 0 runs, 0 hits, and 2 strikeouts while hitting a batter. Freshman transfer Marcus Colon pitched a quick 7th inning, getting 3 batters to fly out.

Senior Tyler Crews was the winning pitcher for Warner giving up 1 run, 1 hit, and 2 walks while striking out 1 in two innings of work. Sophomore Nick Keuler took the tough luck loss for the Gyrenes without giving up an earned run. Warner University’s Anthony Machado picked up the save.

AMU will play Calumet College of St. Joseph in a double header Friday, January 29th at Veterans Community Park in Naples. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. They will then follow up with a second double header Saturday against Calumet at noon on the campus of St. John Neumann High School.