LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team earned a split with Southeastern University on Saturday afternoon, riding a stellar performance from Brooke Pierron to a 4-2 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader. The Fire won the opener 9-0 in five innings. The doubleheader marked the final road twinbill in conference play for the Gyrenes.
The Fire took an early lead in Lakeland, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. The first two hitters of the game for Southeastern singled, leading to an RBI double by Haleigh Harrell that scored leadoff hitter Bailee Moll. The cleanup hitter, Sam Holcomb followed with a two-run double to left field, scoring Harrell and Heather Faulk.
A pair of extra-base hits did the damage for the Fire in the third, increasing the lead to six runs. Two walks had runners on first and second with one out, and Lauren Watters drove one home with a double to center field. Despite the other runner being thrown out at the plate by Kalie Romig, the Fire added to thier lead on a two-run home run by former Gyrene Cheyenne Benson-Ross.
Southeastern's end of the scoring concluded in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs that would enact the run rule. Harrell drove in two runs with an RBI double to right field, and Holcomb would finish the offense with a single that drove in Harrell.
Morgan Grimm and Paxton Hoop provided much of Ave Maria's offense, recording two hits each to account for four of AMU's six hits. Angela Cataldo logged the only Gyrene extra-base hit, a double, while Romig accounted for the other single.
In game two, it was the Gyrenes who struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the second. AMU loaded the bases with no outs, as Emma Thompson, Brooke Pierron, and Hoop all singled. After a pair of strikeouts, Romig got the Gyrenes on the board with an RBI single, and Cataldo followed with an RBI single of her own. Southeastern answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on an error.
The teams traded runs in the third inning, keeping the AMU lead at one run. Aylin Naranjo singled with one out, and Emma Thompson walked. After a fielder's choice moved Naranjo up to third, Hoop increased Ave Maria's lead to 3-1 with an RBI single up the middle. Southeastern's run came on a sacrifice fly from Holcomb, which drove in Faulk.
Ave Maria's offense in the top of the fourth inning was started by Abby Love, who walked with one out and proceeded to steal second. Love scored on a single from Romig, who ended up on third base on a Southeastern error.
Pierron was sensational for Ave Maria in the circle, allowing just one earned run to the Fire in a complete game victory. The senior, who did not walk a batter during her sixth complete game of the season, has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of her last six starts, all of which came in conference play. At the plate, Hoop went 3-for-3 for the Gyrenes, capping a five-hit day for the freshman.
The Gyrenes will play one more doubleheader before Easter break, as the St. Thomas University Bobcats come to town on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch against the Bobcats is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the AMU Softball Field.
