WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team split their conference doubleheader with Keiser University on Saturday afternoon, claiming a 2-1 victory in the opener before falling 6-2 in the nightcap. The win gave the Gyrenes their second conference triumph of the season.
Neither team scored in the first five innings of game one, as AMU's Mackenzie Frye and Keiser's Autumn Green dueled in the circle. Frye and Green both tossed complete games, with Frye scattering seven hits without walking a batter and Green striking out six hitters with two walks. The game would remain scoreless until the top of the sixth inning, when the Gyrenes struck.
Ave Maria got their needed runs in the top of the sixth inning, which started with an infield single from Kalie Romig, who went 3-for-4 with a stolen base in the opener. Angela Cataldo then laid down a bunt single, which allowed the speedy Romig to come around to third. After a walk to Michella Davis loaded the bases, Aylin Naranjo broke the tie with a sacrifice fly to left. Brittany Blizzard added to the lead with a sacrifice fly of her own, giving AMU a 2-0 edge.
Keiser responded with one run in the top of the sixth, but could not completely close the gap. Troiana Test started the action with a one-out single to left field, and Avery Miller followed with an RBI double. Frye was able to keep the Gyrene lead intact by getting a groundout and a flyout, stranding the tying runner on third. The tying run also got to second in the seventh, but Frye was able to slam the door to earn the win.
In the second game of the day, neither team scored in the first two innings before AMU broke the ice in the top of the third. Romig reached on a throwing error from the Seahawks, and came all the way around for the first Gyrene run of the game. Keiser answered in the bottom of the third, when Miller drove in Megan Carver with a two-out RBI single.
AMU retook the lead in the top of the fourth with their final run of the day. Michella Davis, who led the Gyrenes with two hits in the nightcap, started the inning with a double to right field. Blizzard then singled to put runners on the corners. With one out in the frame, Morgan Grimm drove in Davis with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving AMU a 2-1 lead.
Five runs in the bottom of the fourth allowed the Seahawks to pull away from AMU, earning a split. The runs were driven in by Janelle Dominguez, Paige Boyle, Test, and Cheyenne Blumberg, who brought in the final two runs with a single.
Ave Maria will remain on the road next week with four games in conference play. The roadtrip begins on Thursday, when the Gyrenes battle the Mariners of College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. The first pitch of The Sun Conference doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
