THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University baseball team saw limited scoring opportunities against a nearly-flawless #17 St. Thomas squad, but the Bobcats proved to be too much to handle for the Night Hawks, as TU lost both games with respective 8-1 and 8-0 score lines Friday at Varnedoe Stadium.
 
Game One (#17 STU 8, TU 1)
The Bobcats (10-3, 3-1 SUN) struck the Night Hawks (7-7, 0-5 SUN) by scoring its runs in pairs.  Despite scoring once, Thomas managed to tally six hits against its SUN rivals.  Freshman Right-Hander Anthony Menendez (0-2) got the start, allowing two runs in three hits and recording a strikeout in three and one-third innings before being pulled for Redshirt Junior Owen Simonds.
 
St. Thomas took advantage of a struggling Menendez out of the gate.  After hitting a leadoff single, the Navy & Burgundy scored their first runs in the first four at-bats off wild pitches and walks.  TU appeared to be in position to respond in the bottom of the first Sophomore Turner Maddox on third and Freshman Matthew Delay Jr. on second within the first three at-bats, but STU denied Thomas the opportunity to tie, grabbing two outs on the next pair of at-bats to maintain a 2-0 lead.
 
The Green & White appeared to keep the Bobcats at bay before a Jack Khawly solo blast extended STU's lead to 3-0.  Three batters later, the Bobcats capitalized off a Thomas error that put the score at 4-0.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, TU developed another premium scoring chance when Freshman Khadin Bastian doubled to right field to put runners on second and third once again before a Delay grounder ended the inning.
 
After the Bobcats extended its lead to 6-0, Thomas found its way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh with a solo blast over the right field wall by Sophomore Luis Torres, his second of the 2022 season.
 
STU responded with another pair of runs in the top of the eighth to extend its lead to seven runs (8-1).  Thomas would attempt to respond in the bottom of the ninth with two hits to set up a potential late run with runners on second and third, but the Bobcats would once again deny TU more runs, thus preserving the 8-1 win.
 
Game Two (#17 STU 8, TU 0)
St. Thomas doubled down on its efforts to subdue TU's bats, limiting the Night Hawks to three hits in the contest.  Freshman Left-Hander Riley Fisher (2-2) pitched nearly six innings on the mound, allowing four runs in five hits with four strikeouts.
 
After a quick, three-up three-down on both sides in the first inning, Thomas appeared to repeat the pattern in the top of the second before an Emanuel Montesino walk followed by a Chris Schoeller blast over left field put STU up 2-0.
 
After another Bobcat home run in the third extended its lead to 3-0, TU developed another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth when a Delay sacrifice fly set up runners on second and third with one out.  Once again, St. Thomas snatched up that chance when Redshirt Junior Anthony Dorak's hit went towards third base, in which STU's Robin Fernandez made the throw in time for the putout at home.
 
Down 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Green & White once again appeared to have built momentum with a pair of leadoff singles before St. Thomas came up with three, straight outs on the next at-bats.
 
The Navy & Burgundy would go on to score the game's final three runs to seal an 8-0 win.
 
TU by the Numbers
1:        Runs scored on the day
5:        Home runs on the season
7:        Night Hawks registering hits
11:      Strikeouts delivered
 
Thomas will conclude the series with #17 St. Thomas in a Saturday matinee matchup at Varnedoe Stadium, with the first pitch slated for Noon.
 
For up-to-date information on this series and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.