MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Thomas University baseball held off a ninth-inning rally from #13 St. Thomas University to down the Bobcats, 7-6, in the second game of the Sun Conference double header at Paul Demie Mainieri Field. The Night Hawks lost the first game of the day 22-3.
 
TU and #13 STU will face off Saturday at 1 p.m. in the final outing of the three-game set.
 
Game One
#13 St. Thomas jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two innings before the Night Hawks scored one run on a wild pitch. The Bobcats then plated 17 runs over the next two innings to go ahead 22-1.
 
In the fifth, TU added one run as Michael Sowers scored on a Bobcat error.
 
Sowers hit a solo homer to left field in the top of the seventh, his first home run of the season, to score TU's third and final run.
 
Pitcher Alex Friesen (2.1IP, 6H, 9 ER, 4BB, 2K) took the loss for Thomas.  
 
Game Two
The Bobcats again got on the board first, plating one run in the second inning, then adding a solo home run in the third.
 
TU scored one in the sixth when Max Pickert scored as Jose Class Jr. reached on a fielder's choice.
 
Michael Sowers hit a leadoff single in the seventh and Matthew Delay, Jr. drew a walk, then Khadin Bastian put down a sac bunt to move the runners around. Cam Williams tagged an infield single to plate Sowers, then Delay scored on a wild pitch to give TU a 3-2 edge.
 
#13 STU tied the game in the bottom of the frame, but Thomas regained the lead in the top of the eighth as Sowers singled to right center, driving in Gabe Tafelski. The TU defense stranded one Bobcat runner in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 lead going into the final inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, Matthew Williams singled to right then stole second base. Luis Rodriguez-Gallo drew a walk and Pickert came in to pinch run. Williams reached on an error, which plated Cam Williams. After pinch hitter Jean Pool Checo struck out, pinch hitter Nick Talpa hit a two-run double to give Thomas a 7-3 lead.
 
#13 St. Thomas would not go away, hitting a three-run homer to draw the score within one. Closing pitcher Jacob Pino held off the final three batters of the game, though, striking out two and forcing a fly out to right.
 
Cam Williams was 3-for-5 in the game while Sowers tagged a pair of hits. Rodriguez-Gallo drew three walks and had one base hit.
 
Starting pitcher Riley Fisher struck out eight in his 6.2 innings on the mound, and allowed three runs from five hits and a trio of walks. Reliever Bradley Peacock earned the win, striking out two and allowing just one hit in 1.1 innings.