AVE MARIA, Fla. --- The Ave Maria softball team swept Rochester College on Friday afternoon in the Gyrenes' home opener. AMU won game one 7-2 and defeated the Warriors 6-2 in game two.
 
In game one, Brittany Blizzard pitched a complete game for the Blue and Green to pick up the win. She allowed six hits and one earned run with three strikeouts and no walks.
 
After Rochester scored in the top of the first, Kalie Romig came in to score in the bottom half of the inning on a Angela Cataldo RBI groundout. Michella Davis then doubled in Dariyen Varner to put AMU in front 2-1.
 
The Gyrenes scored four runs in the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Varner hit a double over the right fielders head to drive in Romig and Mariah Melendez. Cataldo then hit a single to right and Varner scored on a misplayed ball by the RC right fielder which also allowed Cataldo to advance to second. Later in the inning, Cataldo scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1.
 
The Warriors scored one in the fifth before Melendez reached on an error in the bottom half of the inning that brought Emma Thompson in to score.
 
Romig had three hits and two runs scored for AMU in game one while Varner had one hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
 
In game two, Rochester again struck first in the top of the first with a run to put AMU behind early.
 
Sydney Rogowski got the scoring started for AMU. Rogowski double to right field in the bottom of the second to drive in Morgan Grimm and Aylin Naranjo.
 
The Warriors tied the game in the top of the third. AMU responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning to reclaim the lead. The Gyrenes' run came off a RBI groundout by Catalo that plated Romig.
 
With the bases loaded in the fourth, MacKenzie Frye hit an RBI groundout to shortstop that drove in pinch-runner Jessica Chavez and extended the AMU lead to two. That lead was pushed to four in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI single to right by Thompson that scored Cataldo and a RBI single up the middle by Grimm to drive in Thompson.
 
Six different Gyrenes recorded hits in game two. Rogowski had two RBI to lead AMU.
 
Frye picked up the win for AMU. She pitched 4.1 innings in relief and allowed one hit, two walks and no runs. Aylin Naranjo started the game for AMU. Mariah Melendez also pitched for the Gyrenes.
 
Ave Maria returns to action on Monday when they host NCAA DII Lindenwood (Mo.) in a doubleheader matchup beginning at 2 p.m.