WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team made a major statement on Friday, sweeping the first place team in The Sun Conference, the Keiser University Seahawks, at their home park in West Palm Beach. The Gyrenes won a dramatic 4-3 decision in ten innings in the opener, then pummelled the Seahawks, 6-0, in the nightcap to lock up the sweep.

Ave Maria scored the first three runs of the opener, scoring in the first, third, and sixth innings. The scoring started early, as Kalie Romig singled and stole her 44th base of the season. After a strikeout, an error off the bat of Angela Cataldo brought Romig around from second, giving AMU a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, the duo of Romig and Cataldo struck again. Just as she did in the first inning, Romig singled and stole second to move into scoring position. With one out, Cataldo singled to left field, allowing Romig to score and increasing Ave Maria's lead to 2-0.

Marisa Michi supplied Ave Maria's third run of the day with one swing of the bat. With two outs in the top of the sixth, the freshman belted an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for her fourth home run of the season. The home run tied Michi for second in AMU history in single-season home runs, and made her just the fourth freshman in AMU history to hit four homers in their rookie year.

Keiser rallied in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs to force extra innings. Megan Carver started the inning with a double, and was driven in on a single from Cheyenne Blumberg. The Seahawks loaded the bases with two outs on a Ally Thompson single and an error, then tied the game when Thompson and Mikayla Frost scored on AMU's second error of the inning. 

After two scoreless innings in the international tiebreaker, the Gyrenes finally broke through in the top of the tenth. Brooke Angerer started the inning on second, and moved to third on a single from Abby Love. With one out, Angela Cataldo drove in Angerer with a sacrifice fly to center. In the bottom of the tenth, Keiser got the tying run to third, but Alissa Bolinger shut the door to earn the save.

Sarah Shepard pitched the first nine innings of the game for the Gyrenes, earning the win with just one earned run allowed. The senior stranded the winning run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. At the plate, Romig, Love, Michi, and Morgan Grimm all had two hits.

Game two saw the Gyrenes score twice in the top of the second, taking a lead they would not relinquish. Michi started the action with a double down the left field line, and moved to third base on an Ashley Nelson groundout. Morgan Grimm gave AMU the lead on a bunt single, then scored herself when Angerer drilled a double to centerfield.

In the third inning, Ave Maria added two runs to stretch the lead. A walk to Love and a fielder's choice off the bat of Kayla Martinez put runners on first and second, and Nelson drilled a double down the right field line to score both runners. 

Another run was added by AMU in the sixth, pushing the lead for the Gyrenes to 5-0. Grimm led off the frame with a double to right center, and a bunt from Angerer moved to junior to third base. Pinch hitter Emma Thompson then drove in Grimm on a single to the right side of the infield, sending AMU's fifth run of the day home.

One final run crossed the plate for the Gyrenes in the top of the seventh. Singles from Martinez and Michi, followed by a groundout, put runners on second and third with one out. The lead runner, Martinez, then scored off the bat of Grimm, who finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. 

Alissa Bolinger was sensational for the Gyrenes, tossing her second consecutive complete game shutout. The freshman, who tossed 13 scoreless innings this week with two wins and a save, did not walk a batter and allowed only three singles to the first place Seahawks.

Ave Maria returns home on Monday for a doubleheader with the Trinity Baptist College Eagles. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.