AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team put a scare into one of The Sun Conference's best on Friday, but couldn't pull the upset in a 5-3 loss to No. 18 Southeastern University at the AMU Softball Complex. The Gyrenes trimmed a five-run Southeastern lead to two in the sixth inning and had the go-ahead run on base, but couldn't come all the way back against a Southeastern squad still in the hunt for a conference championship.

Southeastern had chances to take the first lead in the game in the first two innings, but AMU starter Kaedyn Sutton wriggled out of two jams. The Fire had runners on first and second with one out in the first, and the bases loaded with two outs in the second, but Sutton was able to twice induce lazy flyouts to get out of trouble. Despite taking the loss against the Fire, Sutton pitched well, allowing just one earned run over 3.2 innings of work. 

The Fire finally broke through in the top of the third, and would score in three consecutive innings to widen the lead. Two Ave Maria errors helped SEU take the lead in the third, with the RBI coming on a single from Dani Wasserstrom. Southeastern added another run on an attempted double steal in the fourth, then added another three runs in the fifth, with the biggest hit a two-run single off the bat of Karah Schultz. 

Ave Maria made it interesting in the bottom of the sixth, and only needed two hits to do it. With two outs and the bases empty, AMU put three straight runners on, thanks to singles from Cecilia Garrett and Marisa Michi and a hit by pitch to Ashley Nelson. 

The next three hitters - Ryanne Saluter, Hailee Howe, and Brooke Angerer - all walked, bringing in three runs and cutting the SEU lead to two. However, the Fire would escape the jam with no further harm done, and would work a scoreless seventh to finish off the win.

Michi accounted for two of Ave Maria's five hits, adding another single to her sixth inning basehit. Annie Nudera, Garrett, and Howe accounted for Ave Maria's other three singles. Howe joined Michi as the only Gyrenes to reach base twice, thanks to a single and a walk

AMU's season concludes on Saturday with two more chances to upset the Fire, who remained within striking distance of first place Coastal Georgia for the SUN's regular season title. First pitch of the doubleheader between the Fire and the Gyrenes is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Ave Maria will honor their five seniors - Brooke Angerer, Kassi Clark, Trinity Duran, Maggie Hampton, and Kayla Martinez - prior to the opening game, with ceremonies scheduled for 12:30 p.m.