AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team split their doubleheader with the St. Thomas University Bobcats on Wednesday afternoon, taking the opener 11-3 before falling 8-6 in the nightcap. The eleven run output in the first game of the twinbill was the most scored in a conference game by the Gyrenes this season.
After St. Thomas scored a run in the top half of the inning on a pair of doubles, the Gyrenes answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Dariyen Varner singled with one out in the inning, and moved up to third on an error. AMU got on the board on a single from Michella Davis, tying the game at one. In the second inning, the Gyrenes took the lead on a first-and-third play that saw Jessica Chavez take second and Emma Thompson score.
Ave Maria extended their lead over the next two innings, adding two in the third and one more in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles from Varner and Angela Cataldo plated the first run in the third, and Cataldo would score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Naranjo. Then, in the fourth, Kalie Romig singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single from Cataldo to give the Gyrenes a 5-1 lead.
St. Thomas got two back in the top of the fifth inning, cutting the Ave Maria lead down to two runs. Both Bobcat runs scored on a sacrifice fly from Rebekah Ehrenthal. The first run, Dayma Pla, scored on the flyout itself, while Alliyah Sands scored on a Gyrene error. The Gyrenes extended their lead back to three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Davis started the inning by reaching on an error, and came around to score on a double from Naranjo to push the AMU lead to 6-3.
For the sixth consecutive inning, the Gyrenes put at least one run on the board, scoring five to enact the run rule. Cataldo reached on an error, and stood on second with two outs. An RBI single from Davis and an error off the bat of Naranjo pushed across the first two runs. After a single from Thompson, Genevieve Twigg drove in two runs with a double and Paxton Hoop brought in Twigg with a single to end the game.
AMU scored in unorthodox fashion in the bottom of the first, striking first to take a 1-0 lead. Romig started the inning with a double, her first extra base hit of the season. After moving to third on a groundout, Romig would break for the plate on a pitch to Cataldo. Despite the pitch being inthe dirt, Cataldo managed to put it in plate, scoring Romig on a single.
Four more runs crossed the plate for the Gyrenes in the bottom of the second, marking the eighth consecutive inning where Ave had scored a run. Ave loaded the bases on an error, a walk, and a single by Romig, who went 3-for-4 in the nightcap. Varner drove in the first run with a bases loaded walk, and Cataldo drove in two more with a single, part of her three-hit, three RBI performance . Davis recorded her 32nd RBI of the season with a single to left, increasing the Gyrene lead to 5-0.
The Bobcats began to rally in the top of the third inning, scoring two runs. An error off the bat of Ehrenthal allowed the first run to score, with an RBI single by Melody Grafals cutting the AMU lead to 5-2. St. Thomas then tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with a three-spot. An RBI single from Ehrenthal and a pair of Gyrene errors helped the Bobcats even the score at five through five innings.
STU took the lead in the top of the sixth inning, capitalizing on two AMU errors. The Bobcats also scored a run in the top of the seventh inning, scoring on the last of the seven Gyrene errors. Ave was able to get a run back in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single from Davis, but could not get any closer than two runs.
The Gyrenes will play their final road doubleheader of the season on Tuesday, as Edward Waters College hosts Ave Maria in Jacksonville. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
