AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team got an incredible pitching performance from Alissa Bolinger, but could not muster a run against likely All-American Kayla Swinson in a 1-0, eight inning defeat at the hands of the Webber International University Warriors Friday afternoon at the AMU Softball Field. The Gyrenes and Warriors traded zeros for seven innings, but a clutch WIU hit in the eighth proved to be the difference.

For eight innings, Alissa Bolinger went toe-to-toe with Webber's Swinson, as the sophomore did not allow an earned run in her 15th complete game of the season. Bolinger struck out five Warrior hitters, and did not surrender a walk in her 119 pitches. 

The Palmetto, Georgia native left runners in scoring position in the second, third, and sixth innings, working out of trouble to keep the dangerous Webber lineup off the scoreboard. In her last three conference outings, Bolinger has allowed just one earned run over 20 innings, with 15 strikeouts to just two walks. 

After seven scoreless innings, the game moved to the international tiebreaker, which starts the inning with a runner on second. AMU got the first two outs in the top half to keep the runner from advancing, but an RBI single from Abigail Thompson scored Krista Hoyt from second, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead. Ave Maria could not respond, as well-hit balls from Marisa Michi and Ashley Nelson were knocked down by a howling wind, allowing the Warriors to escape.

Against one of the nation's best in Swinson, the Gyrenes managed four hits. Morgan Grimm led the way with a pair of singles, upping her batting average on the season to .355. Nelson added a single of her own, but reached base three times on a single, a fielder's choice, and a hit by pitch. AMU's fourth hit, another single, was provided by Annie Nudera, who singled to start the bottom of the seventh.

With one win on Saturday and helpful results elsewhere, the Gyrenes can clinch a spot in The Sun Conference Tournament on Saturday, when the SUN series between AMU and WIU concludes. The winner of the series will enter the final weekend of the year in third place in The Sun Conference. A doubleheader between the third and fourth place teams in the league is scheduled for a noon first pitch in Ave Maria, with the finale following shortly thereafter.