FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. --- The Ave Maria softball team began its 2015 season on Sunday afternoon against NCAA Division II Nova Southeastern. The Lady Gyrenes fell 5-4 in eight innings in game one before dropping a 5-2 decision in game two.
 
The Lady Gyrenes gave the Sharks all they could handle in game one behind a strong effort from in the circle by Cheyenne Benson. The Lakeland, Fla., native, went 7.2 innings and allowed 11 hits and five runs, four earned. She struck out four on the afternoon. She held the Sharks to just one run through five innings before NSU put up a run in the sixth, seventh, and two in the eighth.
 
Benson also had an impressive day at the plate. She finished game one 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. She put the Lady Gyrenes ahead in the first inning with a RBI single to plate Victoria Thompson. Brandi Griswold came across to score in the second inning on a Sarah Vinci groundout to put the Blue and Green up 2-0.
 
Nova Southeastern got on the board in the third inning, scoring an unearned run on a Gyrene error.
 
Thompson was again involved in the action in the fifth inning, reaching base on an error by the Shark third baseman. Pinch runner Nikki Woodard scored on the play to put AMU up two, 3-1.
 
Nova Southeastern scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings to send the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, McKayla Jeter doubled to left field to plate Alyssa Colding and give the Gyrenes a one-run advantage. In the bottom of the inning and the bases loaded and no outs, Benson got the next two batters to strikeout before a hit-by-pitch tied the game at four. The next batter singled through the right side to win the game for NSU, 5-4.
 
Emily Lemin got the nod in game two of the twin bill. The Eastlake, Ohio, native, allowed five runs and 12 hits over six innings. She had three strikeouts.
 
Nova got on the board first, scoring a run on a double in the third inning. The Lady Sharks added two runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead on the Lady Gyrenes.
 
The Blue and Green cut into the NSU lead in the top of the fifth when Griswold scored on a RBI groundout by Vinci. Brianna Alonso scored on the next at-bat when Emily Blackmore hit a RBI double to center field to bring AMU to within one, 3-2.
 
With two-on and no outs, back-to-back doubles by the Sharks plated a pair of runs to extend their lead to 5-2 and put the game out of reach for the Lady Gyrenes.
 
The Lady Gyrenes will be back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 4, as they host Broward College for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.