SAINT LEO, Fla. -- Behind a two-run home run from Tyrese Rooks and a 3-for-5 effort from Brendan York, the Auburn University at Montgomery baseball team defeated Saint Leo University 13-3 in the final game of a three-game series to wrap up the opening weekend of the 2024 season.

The Warhawks notched their first win of the Franklin Bush era, as Bush collected his first win as a collegiate head coach. 

FROM THE DUGOUT

GM 1 Score: AUM 1, SLU 3
GM 2 Score: AUM 13, SLU 3
Records: AUM 1-2 (0-0 GSC) | SLU 2-1 (1-2 SSC)
Location: Saint Leo, Fla. | Thomas B. Southard Stadium
Series: AUM trails 6-2
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GM 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• A trio of hit batsmen in the fourth inning allowed Saint Leo to plate a run in the fourth inning. 
• The Lions tacked on RBI singles in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-0 lead into the ninth.
• Rooks led off the ninth with an infield base knock and took second on a passed ball.
• After a Kasey Clark single, Zach Dew doubled home Rooks to put some pressure on Saint Leo.
• The Lions got a strikeout and a flyout to shut down the threat and secure the win.

GM 1 ON THE MOUND 

• Jayce James (0-1) suffered the hard-luck loss in game one, as he allowed just one run with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings as the AUM starter.
• Payte Williams allowed a pair of runs in 1.2 innings of relief. 
• Grant Hickman got the last seven outs and allowed just one baserunner. He also recorded a strikeout.

GM 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Rooks clubbed a two-run home run in the third inning to put the Warhawks up first, 2-0.
• A run in the third and two in the fifth staked Saint Leo to a 3-2 lead after five frames.
• Two wild pitches, an error by the Lions, and a Kasey Clark RBI single put AUM in front 6-3.
• AUM blew the game open with a seven-run seventh inning. Cole McWhorter smacked a two-RBI double, York tallied an RBI single, three runs scored on three wild pitches, and RH Frankland put an exclamation on the win with an RBI double.

GM 2 ON THE MOUND 

• Luke Turner (1-0) worked 4.1 innings and allowed three runs with three strikeouts.
• Brett Pitts logged 2.2 innings to finish the game and allowed one hit and one walk against one strikeout.

WORDS FROM THE WARHAWKS

• "In game two, we needed to find our consistency in all three phases, said head coach Franklin Bush. "You can see it's in there, but how consistent can we be?" Consistency wins. But the great thing about baseball is we don't have to wait long to respond. We go back out for game three. In game three, we competed in all three phases of the game. We found consistency in our approach offensively, which was loudly put on display. We stayed on the attack on the mound. We made the routine plays routine. We have a long way to go, but we got better this weekend. We understand what AUM baseball looks like. That is exciting. We look forward to getting back to work and continuing this growth."

ON DECK

• The Warhawks travel up the interstate on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to take on Miles College. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

-#WeAreAUM-

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