AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team's bats came alive on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough to steal a game from the Keiser University Seahawks at the AMU Softball Field. Despite scoring eleven runs on 19 hits, the Gyrenes dropped decisions of 9-5 and 7-6 to the Seahawks, who currently sit in first place in The Sun Conference.

After Keiser took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Gyrenes responded with two of their own in the bottom half. Kalie Romig led off with a single, then came around to third after a stolen base and a Katelynn Sebastiani bunt. Angela Cataldo drove in Romig with a single up the middle, and moved around to third on an error. The next batter, Ashley Nelson, gave AMU lead with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt.

The teams traded runs in the second inning, keeping AMU's lead at 3-2. A sacrifice fly did the damage for Keiser, as Cheyenne Blumberg drove in Ashley Brooker. In the bottom half of the inning, Romig responded in a big way. The fifth-year senior slapped a pitch over the head of the left fielder, and circled the bases for her first career home run, coming in her 573rd at-bat as a Gyrene.

Keiser's offense got going in the middle innings of the opener, scoring three runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth. The Seahawks took the lead in the top of the third on a two-run homer from Giovanna Watts, then added another run on an RBI single from Megan Carver. Of the four runs in the fourth, three scored on a home run from Janelle Dominguez, with the other coming on a wild pitch. 

Ave Maria attempted to rally down the stretch, scoring one run each in the fifth and sixth innings. A two-out double from Marisa Michi drove in Nelson for the run in the fifth inning, while Emma Thompson came on as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth to drive in a run on a bases loaded groundout to conclude the scoring.

Ashley Nelson was again a bright spot in the circle for the Gyrenes, working 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to finish the game. At the plate, Michi led the way with three hits, and Romig added two hits, two runs scored, and her 160th career stolen base.

In game two, Ave Maria grabbed another early lead with, once again, two runs in the bottom of the first. Romig led off with a single, and stole second for her 161st career steal, which ties the Sun Conference career record. Romig then scored on a single and an error off the bat of Gracie Lopez, who scored herself on a two-out single from Nelson. 

The Seahawks responded in a big way with five runs in the top of the second. Keiser tied the game with RBI singles from Alex Perez and Makayla Frost, then took the lead on a bunt from Ally Thompson. The Seahawks added the final two runs of the inning on a wild pitch and an RBI single from Madison Lindsay.

AMU didn't back down from the Keiser rally, scoring three runs in the bottom half to tie the game at five. A walk to Brooke Angerer and singles by Sebastiani and Romig loaded the bases with one out, and a sacrifice fly from Lopez cut the Keiser lead to 5-3. With two outs, Angela Cataldo drilled a triple to right field, scoring both Romig and Sebastiani to even the score.

Two runs from Keiser in the top of the third proved to be the difference in the game. The Seahawks put runners on first and second with one out, and a double from Perez broke the tie by scoring Blumberg. Kelsey Merriman then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Thompson, increasing the Keiser lead to 7-5.

Ave's final run of the day came across in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to a Keiser error. Sebastiani singled to center field, and stole second to put a runner in scoring position. With two outs, a flyball off the bat of Lopez was misplayed by the Seahawks, allowing Sebastiani to score from second.

Alissa Bolinger was brilliant in the circle for the Gyrenes in relief, working 4.2 scoreless frames without allowing a walk. At the plate, Romig, Cataldo, and Sebastiani all had two hits.

Next on the schedule for the Gyrenes is Southeastern University, who will come to the AMU Softball Field on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.