MELBOURNE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team made their first appearance of the season at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games, splitting a doubleheader in Melbourne on Sunday. The Gyrenes earned a dramatic 6-3 victory over Point Park in the opening game of the event, but saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end with a 6-1 loss to British Columbia in the nightcap.
Ave Maria grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first in the opener against Point Park. Cecilia Garrett drew a one-out walk, then moved into scoring position by stealing second. Marisa Michi then gave AMU a lead with an RBI single up the middle. However, the Gyrenes would play from behind for most of the contest, as Point Park scored three in the first to go up 3-1.
The Gyrenes' rally came one run at a time, and started with AMU cutting the lead to 3-2 in the top of the third. The big hit that inning was provided by Ashley Altman, who led off the frame with a deep triple to right field. Altman would score one batter later, when Ashley Lykins lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to cut Point Park's lead to one run.
After two scoreless innings, Ave Maria got the game back to level in the top of the sixth. The Gyrenes did all their damage with two outs, starting with a single from Annabella Phillips, who went 3-for-4 in the victory. Ryanne Saluter then came up with the biggest hit of the game to that point, a double to center field that scored Phillips from first and tied the game at three.
Sunday's opener went to extra innings after neither team could push across a run in the seventh. Ave Maria finally broke through for a big inning in the top of the eighth, scoring three. RBI singles from Cecilia Garrett, Phillips, and Saluter gave AMU all the cushion they needed, and the Gyrenes followed with a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning to seal a ninth consecutive win.
Ashley Nelson ran her scoreless innings streak to seven with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Nelson is now 3-0 on the season with one save. Nelson came on in relief of Kaedyn Sutton, who dialed in for 4.1 scoreless innings after Point Park's three-spot in the first inning.
In game two, Ave Maria again struck first, this time taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. It was another two-out rally that put the Gyrenes ahead, beginning with a blooper from Ashley Nelson that skipped away from a diving defender, ending with the senior on third with a triple. On the next pitch, Hailee Howe clubbed a single through the right side, opening the scoring in Ave Maria's favor.
British Columbia took control of the game from there, scoring two unearned runs in the third and putting four runs on the board in the fourth. Despite the loss, a bright spot for the Gyrenes was the effort in the circle from sophomore Angelique Ballew. Ballew tossed the final 3.2 innings of the contest for Ave Maria, and did not allow a run to the Thunderbirds.
Two more games on the Space Coast await the Gyrenes on Monday, as Ave Maria will end their first trip to Melbourne with games against Huntington and Grand View at the USSSA Space Coast Complex.
