AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team split their final doubleheader of the 2018 season on Saturday afternoon, taking one game from the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia. The Gyrenes walked off for a 2-1 victory in the first game, and the Mariners rallied for a 4-3 win in the season finale for both teams.

Ave Maria earned what turned out to be their final victory of the season in the opening game, scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 2-1 win. 

The Gyrenes opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with a two-out rally. After a strikeout and a popout, Destinee Elmore reached on an error by the first baseman, and advanced to second base. An infield single by Kalie Romig put runners on the corners, and senior Deanna Stirtzinger drove in Elmore with a single up the middle.

Coastal Georgia got the run back in the top of the sixth inning, tying the game entering the seventh inning. Paige Alt walked to lead off the inning, and a single from Bre Wells singled through the left side to move runner Katie McGinnis to third base. Bre Burgett brought McGinnis home with a sacrifice fly to right field, evening the score at one.

AMU's walkoff victory started when Emma Thompson singled to center field. Genevieve Twigg followed with a fielder's choice that saw Thompson retired at second. Twigg was removed for pinch runner Emily Acosta. Abagail Love doubled into right center field, but Acosta was thrown out trying to score the winning run. Love then scored the winning run from third base on a wild pitch with Jessica Chavez at the plate.

Brooke Pierron got the final five outs for the Gyrenes in the circle, and earned her 12th victory of the season.

In the second game, Coastal Georgia scored four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to come back for a 4-3 win.

The game remained tied for the first five innings of the game, as Pierron and Coastal Georgia's Chloe Boulineau and Ansley Bowen combined to keep the opposition off the board until the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ave Maria grabbed the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, taking a 3-0 lead. Romig singled down the left field line, and advanced to third base on a steal and a wild pitch. Elmore drove her in on a 2-2 pitch, and Stirtzinger followed by getting hit by a pitch. With runners on second and third, Twigg singled to left center field to provide the Gyrenes with a 3-0 advantage.

Coastal Georgia's seventh inning started with one out on back-to-back singles, with a groundout moving the runners to second and third. The Mariners pulled within one run on a single and an ensuing error, and took the lead on a two-base error off the bat of Kaili Ann Sadeski. AMU threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting runners to second and third, but could not even the score.

Saturday's games concluded the season for both teams. Ave Maria finished the season with 22 wins, including victories over teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the national poll.