LAKELAND, Fla. --- The Ave Maria softball team split a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon with the conference regular season champion Southeastern Fire to clinch a spot in the Sun Conference Tournament next week. AMU fell in game one 7-2 before defeating the Fire 3-2 in the second game.
 
Ave Maria jumped out to an early lead in game one, scoring once in the top of the first inning on a squeeze play by Alyssa Colding to score Kingsley Avery. Southeastern responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
In the third, AMU got one run back on a RBI double by Marinna Shadley to bring in Avery. The Fire again responded, however, with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-2. The Fire added a run in the fourth to make it 7-2.
 
Avery was 2-for-4 in the loss with two runs scored. Shadley also had two hits in game one.
 
Emily Lemin took the loss, allowing six runs, two earned, on four hits and one walk. She struck out two over 2.1 innings. Gennifer Raulerson allowing one run on seven hits over the final 3.2 innings.
 
In game two, it was again AMU that struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the second on a Michella Davis two-run home run with Marissa Conde on base. The Blue and Green added a run in the top of the sixth on a Shadley solo shot.
 
SEU plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth before Ave Maria was able to hold on for the win.
 
Avery was 2-for-3 in game two while Shadley, Sadie Mosher, Stirtzinger, and Davis each collected a hit.
 
Mosher pitched seven strong innings in the circle for AMU. She allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three.
 
AMU finishes the regular season with a 21-19 overall record and a 5-9 mark in Sun Conference play. AMU will be the sixth seed in the upcoming Sun Conference Tournament.