JACKSONVILLE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team ran their winning streak to five games on Saturday, cruising to a doubleheader sweep of the Trinity Baptist Eagles in Jacksonville. The Gyrenes dominated in game one, riding a no-hitter from Kaedyn Sutton and a offensive outburst to a 16-0 win before finishing off the sweep with an 8-3 triumph in the nightcap.
The Gyrenes never trailed in the opener, scoring two runs in the top of the first. AMU put runners on the corners to start the game, and Marisa Michi got the Gyrenes on the board with an RBI fielder's choice. A double from Maya Gonzalez and a groundout from Ashley Altman moved the runner around for the second AMU runner of the inning. AMU then added another run in the top of the third, with Altman driving in Ryanne Saluter with an RBI single.
Ave Maria broke the game wide open with six runs in the top of the fourth inning. RBI doubles from Saluter and Michi started the scoring in the fourth, and Altman added her own double for a run later in the inning. An RBI single from Cecilia Garrett, as well as a Trinity Baptist error and a wild pitch, supplied Ave Maria's other three runs as the visitors built a 9-0 lead.
AMU put the finishing touches on the blowout win with seven more runs in the fifth. Kylee Lewis drove in two runs with a double, while Kayla Martinez added an RBI single. The final blow from Ave Maria was delivered by freshman outfielder Hailee Howe, who drilled her first career home run over the left field fence, accounting for the last of AMU's 16 runs.
In the circle, Kaedyn Sutton was completely dominant for the Gyrenes. The freshman tossed a five-inning no-hitter, with only one Eagle reaching base due to an error. With the no-hitter, Sutton's streak of scoreless innings to begin her AMU career extends to 18 innings. Offensively, Saluter and Garrett led the way with three hits each, while the run production was led by Howe and Altman, who both finished the game with three RBIs.
In game two, Trinity Baptist scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, forcing the Gyrenes to play from behind. Down 2-0, the Gyrenes got on the board in the top of the third inning. Trinity Duran clubbed a one-out double, then moved over to third on a bunt from Maggie Hampton. Annie Nudera then got the Gyrenes on the board with an RBI single, cutting the TBC lead to 2-1.
With one swing of the bat, the Gyrenes pulled even in fourth. Howe belted her second home run of the day, this one a solo shot to even the score at two. AMU would add two more runs in the fourth, thanks to RBI singles from Duran and Nudera. The Gyrenes added to their lead with another run in the fifth, with Maya Gonzalez driving in Marisa Michi with an RBI single.
The scoring continued for the Gyrenes in the final two innings. Nudera did much of the damage in the sixth, first by driving a triple to right field, scoring Maggie Hampton for the sixth Gyrene run. Nudera then scored herself on an RBI single from Kayla Martinez. After Trinity Baptist got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, Kylee Lewis concluded the scoring with a home run in the top of the seventh, her first of the season.
Nudera led the Gyrenes offensively in the game two win, going 4-for-4 with three runs batted in and another run scored. Five other Gyrenes - Martinez, Howe, Lewis, Gonzalez, and Duran - all added two hits and a run batted in. In the circle, Maya Gonzalez picked up the win, allowing just one run over 5.1 innings of work in relief of starter Angelique Ballew.
Saturday's games marked the start of a lengthy roadtrip for the Gyrenes, who will play 12 games over a span of eight days at the USSSA Space Coast Games. That stretch begins Tuesday, and will span until March 8.
