GULF SHORES, Ala.- The Ave Maria University softball team played their first two games of the Gulf Coast Invitational on Friday afternoon, taking on the Cougars of Columbia College and the Eagles of Faulkner University. The Gyrenes fell in both contests, taking their first loss of the season in a 4-0 defeat to Columbia, then dropping the final game, 14-9 in eight innings, to Faulkner at the Gulf Coast Sportsplex in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

In game one, the pitching took center stage for much of the contest. Ave Maria's Sarah Shepard, a Missouri native, and Columbia's Lexi Dickerson combined to allow zero earned runs over the first six innings of the game. Dickerson allowed just one hit to the Gyrenes - a single from Christina Cataldo - while Shepard allowed a single unearned run in her first six innings.

Columbia grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, thanks to a pair of AMU errors. The leadoff hitter, Carli Buschjost, reached on an error, and advanced to second on a seperate error. An infield single from Taylor Barnes put runners on first and third, and an RBI groundout from Kacy Bergfeld gave the Cougars their initial lead.

The Cougars also added three more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away. All three runs scored with two outs, courtesy of a single from Bergfeld, a double from Mackenzie Kasarda, and another double from Konnor Arrowood.

Game two saw Faulkner score the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, before Ave Maria answered with six in the bottom of the second. Faulkner's run was provided by Ashton Fielding, who drove in Shelbie Burbage with an RBI single. The Eagles also loaded the bases in the first, but starting pitcher Kassandra Clark was able to get out of the jam.

Ave Maria's biggest inning of the day started with the bases loaded and one out in the inning, courtesy of two walks and an error. The next three batters all drove in runs, as Kalie Romig (walk), Paxton Hoop (single), and Angela Cataldo (sacrifice fly) gave AMU a 3-1 lead, with an ensuing error increasing the edge to 4-1. Another error added a fifth run, and an RBI single from Marisa Michi made it 6-1 after two innings.

Beginning in the top of the third inning, Faulkner scored the next seven runs, taking an 8-6 lead. The Eagles scored in four consecutive innings, scoring one in the third, three in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth to take the lead. The two biggest hits in the rally were supplied by Caity Jo Lee, who homered to tie the game in the top of the fifth, and Colby Adams, whose single gave Faulkner a 7-6 lead in the top of the sixth.

Down by two, Ave Maria rallied to force extras with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. A Morgan Grimm single, a walk to Marisa Michi, and a flyout put runners on second and third with one out. Emma Thompson drove in the first run, in the person of pinch runner Mariah Melendez, with a sacrifice fly. Katelynn Sebastiani then tied the game with a two-out single to left field.

Faulkner put six runs on the board in the eighth inning, and AMU was only able to answer with three, courtesy of an RBI single from Hoop and a two-run double from Michi. Faulkner's runs were provided by a two-run single from Adams, a sacrifice fly from Brianna Cagle, a single and an error off the bat of Shelbie Burbage, and an infield single from Taylor Eddy. 

AMU's stint in the Gulf Coast Invitational continues on Saturday afternoon with a pair of games against non-conference opponents. The Gyrenes will face No. 7 University of Mobile at 2:30 p.m., then will finish the day against the Firestorm of Arizona Christian University, who are receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll. That game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. central.