MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Barry University’s baseball team avenged a loss to St. Thomas University last week by defeating the Bobcats 9-4 Wednesday night.
Barry (28-18) scored the game’s first run in the top of the third inning when Adrian English delivered a two-out single to right to drive in freshman Zac Burger.
Saint Thomas (32-19) answered with a pair of runs in the third to grab a 2-1 lead on Ozney Guillen’s two-RBI single up the middle.
Tyler Kellmann began the fourth with his second hit of the ball game and after two consecutive outs, Joe Iorio singled to right to drive in Kellmann to tie the game at two.
The back-and-forth game continued in the bottom of the fourth as the Bobcats scratched another run across to jump ahead 3-2.
Kellmann and Adrian English led off the sixth with back-to-back singles and senior Michael Slabach loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk.
Michael Diaz hit a chopper to the first baseman Edwin Rolon who made an errant throw to the plate in an attempt to get Kellmann. The throw sailed to the backstop and resulted in two Buccaneer runs. Iorio followed with his second RBI single to plate Slabach.
After another Bobcat error that resulted in the Bucs’ sixth run, Sheehan Planas-Arteaga drove in Iorio with a liner to left giving Barry a 7-3 advantage.
English kept the rally going with his third hit of the night, driving in Jay Bellot. In all, the Bucs scored six runs on five hits while capitalizing on a pair of errors to grab an 8-3 lead.
Both teams traded a run but the Buccaneers’ bullpen did a solid job all night. After starter Tyler Kinley allowed just three runs in four innings and striking out four the Bucs turned to a series of relievers.
Adrian Benitez worked a scoreless fifth. Joeanthony Rivera struck out one and allowed a run in the sixth while Matthew Garlock, Alex Decker and Frank Szczepanik combined for three shutout innings to close out the game.
Benitez (5-1) picked up his fifth win of the season after retiring the side in order in the fifth.
English finished 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and Kellmann belted four hits while also playing stellar defense at third to lead the Buccaneers.
Barry will rest and prepare for the final series of the season when they travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. on May 5th for a three-game set against Eckerd College.
Live-stat and audio broadcast coverage will be avaialable through the Barry Unviersity athletics webstie, GOBARRYBUCS.COM.
