AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team recaptured their winning ways Saturday afternoon at home, sweeping a doubleheader against the Eagles of the University of Fort Lauderdale, 2-1 and 7-5. AMU's second doubleheader sweep of the season ended a three-game skid, and gave AMU a 3-1 series win this season over UFTL.

Fort Lauderdale grabbed a run in the first inning, but got nothing else against Gyrene starter Maya Gonzalez. The sophomore tossed a complete game for Ave Maria, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out two to earn her second win of the season. 

The Gyrenes trailed 1-0 until the fourth inning, when AMU got the two runs that would prove to be decisive. Annabella Phillips led off the inning with a single, and a double from Ryanne Saluter put runners on second and third with no outs. Gonzalez helped her own cause with an RBI single to left, which moved Saluter to third. Saluter stayed on third after a groundout and a walk to Hailee Howe, then scored the go-ahead run on an Ashley Altman sacrifice fly.

Fort Lauderdale went down in order in two of the last three innings, securing the win for Ave Maria. Phillips and Gonzalez were the top hitters for Ave Maria, both going 2-for-3 in the victory.  

In game two, the teams traded runs in the first inning. A sacrifice fly put Fort Lauderdale on the board in the top of the first. In the bottom half, the Gyrenes answered with a two-out rally. Marisa Mich singled with two outs, as did Annabella Phillips, putting runners on first and second. A third straight single, this one from Ryanne Saluter, scored Michi from second and evened the score at one.

After two scoreless innings, Fort Lauderdale broke through with three runs in the top of the fourth. The Eagles' three-run inning was aided by a pair of Gyrene errors, with all three runs being unearned. Ave Maria got one back in the bottom of the frame, getting another two-out hit. An RBI single from Cecilia Garrett, scoring Hailee Howe, cut the UFTL lead to 4-2.

Down by two runs, the Gyrenes came to life in the bottom of the fifth. Ashley Altman led off the frame with a double, then scored on a double from Phillips. A single from Saluter moved pinch runner Brigid Hood to third, and Saluter stole second to put two runners in scoring position. After coming up with the tying hit in game one, Gonzalez came up big again with a two-run double, giving Ave Maria their first lead of game two, 5-4.

UFTL tied the game in the top of the sixth, but the Gyrenes once again came up big in the late innings. Garrett led off with a single, then moved around to third with a stolen base and an Ashley Altman single. Marisa Michi, as she has done so many times in her AMU career, gave the Gyrenes the lead with a single. An insurance run was added by Saluter, who hit a two-out single to score Altman.

Ashley Nelson was the winning pitcher for Ave Maria, finishing the final 1.1 innings without allowing a run or a hit. Phillips, Saluter, and Garrett all had big games offensively, finishing the nightcap with three hits apiece, while Altman and Michi both had two hits.

Now with an overall record of 5-3, the Gyrenes will be back at home on Wednesday for a doubleheader with New College of Florida. The Gyrenes will be looking for a sweep of the Mighty Banyans after two wins in Sarasota on Opening Day. First pitch of the twinbill is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.