KISSIMMEE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team won their first game at The Spring Games on Thursday, taking one of their two games in Kissimmee at the Fortune Road Athletic Complex. The Gyrenes earned an extra-innings victory, 8-7, over Calumet College of St. Joseph, but could not keep up the offensive effort in a 2-0 loss to the University of Michigan Dearborn.
Both teams scored in the first inning of the day. Ave Maria's scoring was started by Maggie Hampton, who drew a walk with one out. Hampton stole second, and came around to score on a two-out RBI single from Morgan Grimm. An RBI single from A. Navarro allowed Calumet to answer in the bottom half, evening the score.
The score remained even at one until the top of the fourth inning. Annie Nudera started a two-out rally with a single, and moved to second when Katelynn Sebastiani drew a walk. Alexis Lendo ran for Nudera at second base, and scored on a single from Miriam Padgett.
Trailing 2-1, Calumet scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to take their first lead of the afternoon. An RBI single from Elrod tied the score, and an error that brought Elrod home allowed the Crimson Wave to take the lead, 3-2, entering the seventh inning.
Ave Maria responded with two runs of their own in the top of the seventh. Padgett singled and Hampton reached on a fielder's choice, and both runners moved up on a groundout from Marisa Michi. Grimm then gave AMU the lead with a two-run single. Calumet was able to score one in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to extra innings.
In the eighth, the Gyrenes scored when runner Elena Dybiec scored thanks to a throwing error from the Crimson Wave. Calumet responded with an RBI single from Slack, again evening the score. Calumet had runners on second and third with one out, but eventual winning pitcher Alissa Bolinger got a strikeout and a popout to send the contest to the ninth.
AMU finally got their big hit in the top of the ninth. First, a single from Michi put the lead back in the Gyrene column, 6-5. Then, Grimm blasted a two-run homer to extend the lead to three runs. Grimm had five RBIs in the win, making her just the seventh player in school history to have five RBIs in a single game. Calumet scored twice in the bottom half and loaded the bases, but Dybiec picked off the lead runner with two outs to end the game.
Game two saw the Gyrenes log seven hits, but no runs would cross the plate. Ave Maria's seven hits were provided by seven different Gyrenes, and were all singles. The Wolverines scored in the final two innings of the nightcap, getting RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings to overcome the Gyrenes.
Kassandra Clark, despite being charged with the loss, was outstanding for the Gyrenes. The junior struck out six Wolverine hitters, and allowed just two runs on four hits over six innings of work. Aylin Naranjo recorded the final three outs for AMU, allowing just one batter of the four she faced to reach base.
The Spring Games continues Friday for the Gyrenes, who will face Spring Arbor University and the University of Northwestern Ohio in Kissimmee.
