MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team completed their first three-game sweep of a Sun Conference series, taking both games of a doubleheader from the Florida Memorial Lions Wednesday afternoon at Carol City Park. The Gyrenes scored 41 runs total in the series, earning victories of 13-1 and 16-6 over the Lions, following a 12-4 win on Tuesday.

A seven-run second inning provided all the scoring the Gyrenes would need in game one. AMU loaded the bases with one out on a single and two walks, then took a 2-0 lead on a bases loaded walk to Katelynn Sebastiani and a hit by pitch to Ryanne Saluter. Marisa Michi then cleared the bases with a three-run triple, upping the lead to 5-0. An RBI single from Ashley Nelson scored Michi, and the scoring concluded on an error off the bat of Elena Dybiec.

Florida Memorial scored their lone run in the bottom of the fourth, but AMU put the game away with six runs in the top of the fifth. The first run scored on an error, and Ashley Nelson added three more with Ave Maria's third inside the park home run of the series. The final two Gyrene runs scored on an error off the bat of Maggie Hampton, which plated Annie Nudera and Alexis Lendo. 

Alissa Bolinger did not allow an earned run in her eleventh complete game of the season, striking out six hitters while allowing just two Florida Memorial hits. The top three hitters in the Ave Maria lineup combined for nine runs batted in, led by a four-RBI effort from Nelson, who was also the lone Gyrene with two hits.

In game two, Ave Maria put eight runs on the board in the top of the third. The biggest hit was an inside-the-park grand slam from Cecilia Garrett, marking her first collegiate home run. Marisa Michi added an RBI double, as did Ryanne Saluter. Florida Memorial responded with six runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Gyrenes held on for an 8-6 lead.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Gyrenes added to their lead with a run in the fifth, thanks to an RBI groundout from Nelson. The lead expanded to 12-6 in the sixth inning, with the first run scoring on an RBI single from Garrett. The final two runs scored on AMU's fifth inside-the-park home run, this one provided by Elena Dybiec.

Nelson hit her second home run of the day, and Ave Maria's sixth of the season, for the first run of the seventh. Dybiec added three more RBIs to complete the scoring, clearing the bases with a three-run double to account for the last of AMU's 16 runs. 

Ave Maria's three home runs in the win marked just the fourth time in school history AMU had hit at least three home runs in a game. The effort was led by Garrett and Dybiec, who both drove in five runs in the victory. Bolinger pitched the last 4.2 innings of the day, striking out five hitters and allowing just one hit to earn her tenth win of the season. 

Now holding a 5-4 conference record, the Gyrenes will take on the Thomas University Night Hawks for three games at the AMU Softball Field this weekend. The weekend will start with a doubleheader on Friday, then concludes with the finale Saturday.