Box Score
AVE MARIA, Fla. – For the second consecutive year, the #20 Warner University baseball team claimed their season opener as they defeated Ave Maria University 9-5 Tuesday (Jan. 26) at Palmetto Ridge High School baseball field. The Royals open the season at 1-0 while the Gyrenes open their season at 0-1.
The Royals received a lift on offense from sophomore Justin Zanella and senior Casey Torrance as both had two hits. Zanella went 2-for-3 from the plate with two doubles and a RBI while Torrance went 2-for-4 with two steals and two runs. As a team the Royals totaled five steals.
The Royals used a pitching by committee approach in their opener as five pitchers saw time on the mound (Josh Castanza , Gary Kott , Tyler Crews , Kyle Janovsky , and Anthony Machado ). In his debut with the Royals, the lefty Castanza pitched two innings with four strikeouts and allowed only one run. Crews earned the win as he too pitched two innings with one strikeout. Machado picked up his first save as a Royal as he came in the eighth inning and shut the Gyrenes bats down pitching a hitless eighth and ninth with one strikeout.
It was a back and forth affair between the Royals and Gyrenes until the final two innings of the game when the sloppy defense of the Gyrenes allowed Warner four runs. The Gyrenes totaled seven errors in the game.
The Royals return to the diamond on Saturday (Jan. 30) when they travel to cross-town rival Webber International University for a non-conference doubleheader scheduled for a noon start.