AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria softball team will make their 2015 home debut on Wednesday when they welcome Broward College to AMU Softball Field for a pair of games. The Lady Gyrenes conclude the week with contests against Point, Webber International, Middle Georgia, and Coastal Georgia as part of the 2015 Southern Challenge Tournament in Clermont, Fla.
 
LADY GYRENES RECAP
 
The Blue and Green dropped a pair of hard-fought games at Nova Southeastern to open their 2015 season on Sunday. The Lady Gyrenes fell 5-4 in eight innings in game one before dropping a 5-2 decision in game two.
 
Cheyenne Benson had a solid outing in the circle in game one, striking out four and allowing 11 hits and five runs, four earned, over 7.2 innings. She also went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the game. Emily Lemin started game two and went six innings and had three strikeouts.
 
Marlie Braddy and McKayla Jeter each recorded multiple hits over the two games. In total, 10 Lady Gyrenes finished with a hit on the day. The Blue and Green recorded four extra-base hits on the afternoon, all doubles.
 
LADY GYRENES CATEGORY LEADERS
 
Batting Average – Cheyenne Benson, .500 BA
RBI – Sarah Vinci, 2 RBI
Stolen Bases – N/A
ERA – Cheyenne Benson, 3.65 ERA
Strikeouts – Cheyenne Benson, 4 Ks
 
SCOUTING BROWARD COLLEGE
 
Broward College kicked off the 2015 season at the Junior College Kickoff Classic this past weekend. Broward went 2-2 on the weekend, defeating Wake Technical College and Pasco-Hernando State College and dropping games against Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College and Georgia Military College.
 
Jenna Lopez enters her fifth season as head coach with only four returning players in pitcher Danielle Conboy, utility player Miranda Maddox and outfielders Michaela Metcalfe and Rebecca Rodriguez. Conboy made 15 appearances in the circle with nine starts and completed seven games. Maddox topped the Seahawks in walks (18) and tied for second in runs (seven). Metcalfe was an infielder last season and led the team in assists with 82. Metcalfe also finished tied for first in hit-by-pitches (two) and tied for second in stolen bases (four). Rodriguez played five games in 2013, but sat out last season as a redshirt.
 
SCOUTING POINT (GA.)
 
Point University is coming off of an 18-27 2014 campaign. The Lady Skyhawks went 8-12 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference. As a team, Point scored 198 runs last season and allowed 253.
 
Rising sophomore Amber Anderson will lead Point this season. As a freshman last season, Anderson led Point with a .418 batting average in 91 at-bats. She had nine doubles, four triples, and one homerun. She tallied 14 RBI. Senior Ashley Robinson finished with a .329 batting average in 143 at-bats with 12 doubles and four homeruns for the Skyhawks.
 
In the circle, Point returns Alyssia Palomino who pitched in 18 games a year ago while starting 11. She tossed eight complete games and one shutout. In 87 innings, she allowed 56 earned runs and struck out 45.
 
SCOUTING WEBBER INTERNATIONAL
 
Webber International is off to a 1-3 start to the young season. The Warriors defeated Taylor (Ind.) in their season opener before dropping the second game of the doubleheader against Taylor and getting swept by Florida Tech last weekend. Webber is averaging nearly five runs a game and has a team batting average of .291.
 
Jasmine Rodriguez is off to a hot start to the season, collecting eight hits over her first 12 at-bats for a .667 batting average. She has scored three runs to lead WIU. Jennifer Hamil has also got off to a quick start, going 6-for-11 with three doubles, four RBI, and two runs scored. Pitching for the Warriors hasn't got off to such a great start, allowing 33 runs over their first three games. Kayla Montgomery has pitched in three games and started two. She has a 4.32 ERA and has struck out five batters over 11.1 innings pitched.
 
SCOUTING MIDDLE GEORGIA
 
Middle Georgia State College went 18-21 in 2014. They return rising sophomore Hannah Twilley. Twilley was named to the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association All-Conference Second Team. She finished 2014 with .379 batting average and a .639 on base percentage. Twilley had seven home runs and eight doubles on the year.
 
Other highlights from the 2014 season included freshman Sarah Bennetts (.395) finishing 3rd in the GCAA in Batting Average.  Bennetts (.471) and sophomore Kayla Bawkin (.459) finished 2nd and 5th, respectively in OBP in the GCAA.
 
SCOUTING COASTAL GEORGIA
 
Coastal Georgia is coming off of 13-30 2014 season. The Mariners finished with an 8-20 record in Southern States Athletic Conference play. Coastal Georgia scored 166 runs on the season and allowed 224.
 
Taylor Horne will lead the Mariners in 2015. The sophomore utility hitter played in all 43 games for the Mariners last season and hit at a .318 clip. She had nine extra-base hits with two home runs and 19 RBI. In the circle, Stacey Ward returns to lead the CCG pitching staff. Ward started 16 games a year ago and finished with a 3.35 ERA over 110.2 innings pitched. She had a 5-10 record and struck out 43 batters and walked 31.