THOMASVILLE, Ga.- The Ave Maria University softball team had chances to get back in the win column on Friday, but couldn't find a way to win in defeats of 1-0 and 7-5 at the hands of Thomas University Night Hawks in Thomasville. The Gyrenes either tied or led in the sixth inning or later of both games, but Thomas came up with the big hits in both to sweep the doubleheader.

Game one was a pitcher's duel, as Ave Maria's Maya Gonzalez and Thomas' Amber Griffin battled for six scoreless innings. Gonzalez scatted three hits over her six innings in the circle, posting arguably her best outing of her college career. The Gyrenes handed the ball to Ashley Nelson, who worked a scoreless seventh inning to send the game to extra innings.

Ave Maria's best chance to score came in the third inning, when an error, a walk to Annie Nudera, and a Marisa Michi single loaded the bases with one out. However, Thomas escaped the jam by cutting down the lead runner at the plate on a fielder's choice, then getting a groundout to end the inning. 

In extra innings, the Gyrenes could not score despite again having the bases loaded with one out. AMU lined into a double play with the bases loaded to keep the game 0-0. Thomas then walked it off in the bottom of the eighth, as a sacrifice bunt and a walk led to a game-winning single from pinch hitter Kennedy Hardy.

The Gyrenes managed just three hits in the losing effort, getting singles from Nudera, Michi, and Ryanne Saluter. Nudera reached base three times at the top of the Gyrene lineup with a single and two walks, while Saluter and Gonzalez both reached base twice - Saluter on a single and a walk and Gonzalez on a pair of hit by pitches.

Thomas jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Ave Maria answered with their first home run in nearly a month, as Annalise Anderson hit her first career home run to cut the Night Hawk lead to 2-1. Thomas got a home run of their own in the bottom of the second, pushing the lead back to two runs at 3-1.

AMU finally got their first big inning of the day in the top of the third, thanks to one big hit from junior Ashley Nelson. With two outs in the inning and no one on, Nudera singled to move her current on-base streak to 23, and Saluter drew a walk. Nelson then clubbed a double to score both runners, then came home to score herself to give the Gyrenes a 4-3 lead that would last until Thomas tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. 

In the sixth inning, the Gyrenes reclaimed the lead, albeit briefly. AMU once again struck with two outs, as a Hailee Howe double put runners on second and third. Karsyn Moore then came up with the clutch hit with a single that gave AMU a 5-4 lead. However, Thomas responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, which would prove to be the difference.

Six Gyrenes had one hit each in the loss, with three of those six hits going for extra bases. Anderson and Saluter both reached base twice, with Anderson drawing a walk to go with her home run and Saluter drawing a walk and logging a single.

Ave Maria will look to salvage the series on Saturday, as the series finale between the Gyrenes and the Night Hawks is scheduled for noon in Thomasville.