AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria University softball team came up short in both ends of a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon, dropping the opener 7-1 before dropping a 10-4 decision in the nightcap. The opening game in the twinbill served as a conference series finale, with the last game serving as a non-conference affair.
 
Ave Maria scored the first run in the first game, but fell victim to seven unanswered runs to drop the third game in the series, 7-1.
 
The Gyrenes grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the third inning, scoring the first run of the day. Marinna Shadley led off the frame with a single, and was moved to second on a Paige Aldred bunt. It was one of four hits on the day for the senior shortstop. Sadie Mosher drove in Shadley with a single to give AMU a 1-0 lead through three innings.
 
Southeastern pushed across four runs in the top of the fourth. A walk, a single, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Fire, and a Brandee Pietrzak single brought two runs in to give Southeastern the lead. A Cat Maldonado fielder's choice and a Laney Haynes single drove in the other two runs for the visitors.
 
Two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh provided the six run victory for the Fire. A Lindsie Scholwinski fielder's choice and a Sam Holcomb plated the runs in the sixth, and a Maldonado single did the damage in the seventh.
 
In the nightcap, Southeastern used an eight-run first inning to power a 10-4 victory.
 
The eight-run first inning saw 13 hitters come to the plate for the Fire. The biggest hit of the inning was a two-run double from Brandee Pietrzak, while other runs in the frame were driven in by Laney Haynes, Alex Millett, Sydnie Malloy, and Heather Faulk.
 
Ave Maria responded with four runs in the bottom of the second, cutting the Southeastern lead in half. The Gyrenes loaded the bases with a Danielle Garcia hit by pitch, and singles by Marissa Conde and Kayli Romig. Marinna Shadley drove in Garcia with a groundout, and Sadie Mosher followed with a two-run single. McKayla Jeter completed the frame with an RBI double of her own.
 
Southeastern completed the day's scoring with two runs in the sixth inning, driven in by Sam Holcomb and Cheyenne Blaha.
 
Mosher and Romig led the Gyrenes with two hits in the losing effort.
 
After a break for Easter Weekend, the Gyrenes will face Florida Southwestern in an exhibition doubleheader in Ave Maria. The twinbill is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.