CLERMONT, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team swept a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, taking a pair of games from Point Park University at the PFX Spring Games in Clermont. The Gyrenes pulled away in game one for a 6-2 victory, and then walked off in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 2-1 win in the nightcap. Ave has now won three consecutive games since starting the season 0-3.

In the opening game of the doubleheader, a stellar performance in the circle from freshman Brittany Blizzard guided the Gyrenes to a 6-2 victory over the Pioneers. Ave Maria never trailed in the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Angela Cataldo set up the run with a single and a pair of stolen bases, and the Gyrenes opened the scoring on an RBI groundout from Emma Thompson.

Three more runs crossed the plate for the Gyrenes in the fourth, with a pair of two-out bunts providing the damage. With runners on second and third with two outs, Abby Love put down a perfect bunt single that allowed Blizzard to score, and Love's move to second base then distracted the defense long enough for Thompson to score. Love then added the third run of the inning when a bunt laid down by Paxton Hoop was thrown away by the Pioneers. 

Point Park got two runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the AMU lead in half. An error allowed the first run of the inning to score, as an errant throw pushed Taylor Goldstrohm across the plate to get the Pioneers on the board. and a sacrifice fly from Chandler Krelow trimmed the Gyrene advantage to 4-2 through five innings. 

Ave Maria answered with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth, providing the final margin of victory for the Gyrenes. Cataldo started the inning with a double, and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Thompson. Hoop drove in Cataldo with a sacrifice bunt that saw her reach base on an error, and Dariyen Varner drove in the final run of the opening game with a sacrifice fly that scored Love.

Blizzard picked up her second win of the season in the first game, tossing a complete game two-hitter with just one earned run allowed. The freshman struck out only one hitter, but was able to induce weak contact from the Point Park hitters, including seven groundouts hit to Thompson alone. At the plate, Cataldo led the effort by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored in the victory.

Game two was a pitcher's duel that the Gyrenes won in their final at-bat, 2-1. The game was scoreless for three innings before Ave Maria broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth. Genevieve Twigg led off the inning with a single, and Jessica Chavez came in to run. After a sacrifice bunt moved her to third, Chavez scored on an RBI double to left field from Michella Davis.

An error from the Gyrenes allowed Point Park to score the game-tying run in the top of the sixth inning. A walk and a groundout had Carissa Schkeres on second base with two outs, and the tying run crossed the plate after an error following a strikeout to Amber Cook.

The game remained tied into the bottom of the eighth inning, as AMU escaped the top half with no damage when Dariyen Varner turned a double play by throwing out the go-ahead run at the plate. Blizzard started the inning on second and moved to third on a steal. With one out, Thompson sent the Gyrenes home happy with a walk-off RBI single.

On her 19th birthday, Aylin Naranjo spun a gem for the Gyrenes, tossing eight innings without allowing an earned run. The freshman posted eleven innings without allowing an earned run this week in contests against Lynn and Point Park. 

Ave Maria returns to Clermont on Tuesday for two games against Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The opening game is scheduled for an 11:45 a.m. first pitch.