FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team earned another dramatic win on Sunday, taking game one of a doubleheader with the Fort Lauderdale Eagles. The Gyrenes scored three runs in the top of the seventh to rally for an 8-7 victory over the Eagles. Fort Lauderdale returned the favor in the nightcap, winning in walkoff fashion, 6-5.

The Gyrenes jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening game of the doubleheader, scoring a run in the second and two more in the third. In the second, an RBI single from Ashley Nelson put the Gyrenes on the board. Annabella Phillips logged one of her four hits with an RBI single in the third, and Maya Gonzalez added a run-scoring hit of her own to add to Ave Maria's lead.

Fort Lauderdale rallied to tie the game at three after five innings, but Ave Maria had an answer with two runs in the top of the sixth. Singles from Ashley Altman and Cecilia Garrett put runners on second and third with no outs, and Ava Burke gave Ave Maria the lead with a sacrifice fly. Phillips added to her career day with another RBI single, upping Ave Maria's lead to 5-3.

Trailing by two runs after Fort Lauderdale scored four in the bottom of the sixth, the Gyrenes had an answer in the top of the seventh. AMU loaded the bases on singles from Altman, Garrett, and Burke. Marisa Michi came through with a two-run double to tie the score at seven, although Burke was thrown out at the plate. That was proven moot, though, when Phillips capped her 4-for-4 day with an RBI single to center, giving Ave Maria an 8-7 lead they would not relinquish.

Angelique Ballew came on in relief of starting pitcher Gina Gallegos, and tossed four innings to earn the win for Ave Maria. Ashley Nelson was given the ball in the seventh, and worked a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts to earn her first save of 2024.

Ave Maria had to come from behind in the second game, trailing 4-1 after three innings of play. AMU's lone run came in the top of the first, thanks to another hit from Phillips. Phillips singled to right field with two outs in the inning, scoring Cecilia Garrett from second to give the Gyrenes a 1-0 lead.

Down by three runs after three innings, Ave Maria battled back over the next two innings to tie the score at four. The Gyrenes got back within two in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout from Karsyn Moore, then tied the game with a big hit in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Maya Gonzalez clubbed a two-run double, scoring Phillips and Michi.

AMU then grabbed their first lead since the first inning in the top of the sixth, thanks to a key two-out hit. Cecilia Garrett singled to right field to score Ashley Altman, putting Ave Maria up 5-4. However, that lead would not hold up, as Fort Lauderdale scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to claim the win. 

Four Gyrenes - Garrett, Phillips, Ryanne Saluter, and Altman - all had two hits in the losing effort for Ave Maria.

After four games on the road, Ave Maria will finally play their home opener on Wednesday. The Gyrenes will welcome the Conquistadors of Florida National University to the AMU Softball Complex, with first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for noon.