BRUNSWICK, Ga.- The Ave Maria University softball team fell twice to the defending Sun Conference champion Coastal Georgia Mariners on Saturday, dropping decisions of 12-1 and 3-1 in Brunswick. The Gyrenes remained close in game two after falling well behind early in game one. 

Ave Maria never had a chance in game one, as Coastal Georgia scored ten runs in the bottom of the first. Nine of those ten runs were unearned against the Gyrenes, the product of three AMU errors. Coastal Georgia also added runs in the third and fourth innings to build a 12-0 lead.

The Gyrenes did avoid a shutout in the opener, scoring a run in the top of the fifth and final inning. Ashley Altman led off the frame with a walk, and moved around to third base on a pair of wild pitches. Annie Nudera also reached base on a dropped third strike, and moved to second on another wild pitch. Freshman Lindsay Watson then accounted for AMU's run, thanks to an RBI groundout. 

Nudera and Cecilia Garrett accounted for Ave Maria's two hits in game one, with Nudera logging a leadoff single in the first and Garrett getting a two-out single in the second. Kaedyn Sutton pitched effectively in relief for the Gyrenes, allowing just one earned run over 2.1 innings of work.

Coastal Georgia again took the lead in game two, albeit by a much smaller margin of 1-0. The Gyrenes then pulled even with their second run of the day, which came in the top of the third. Hailee Howe led off the frame with a single, and moved to second on a single from Ashley Altman. The runners moved up to second and third on a groundout, and Ryanne Saluter came through with an RBI single to even the score.

However, that run would prove to be it for the Gyrenes, while the Mariners responded with runs in the fourth and fifth innings. AMU's best chance to score came in the fourth inning, when Marisa Michi got herself to second base with two outs, but a popout ended the threat.

Howe was the offensive standout for the Gyrenes in game two, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Ave Maria's pitching staff did enough to keep the Gyrenes in the game, beginning with five strong innings from Gina Gallegos. Ashley Nelson came on in relief of Gallegos, and continued her brilliant relief pitching with a scorless sixth inning.

Ave Maria will get one more chance to topple the Mariners, with the series finale in Brunswick scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning.