AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team again held a late lead, but couldn't finish the job in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Keiser University Seahawks. Ave Maria held a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning, but a four-spot from Keiser in the top of the sixth, aided by a pair of AMU errors, allowed the Seahawks to finish off their sweep of The Sun Conference series.

Ave Maria didn't hit the ball hard at all in the second inning, but still found a way to manufacture the first run of the game. Annie Nudera reached via a walk with one out in the frame, then moved to second base on a productive ground ball from Maya Gonzalez. Annabella Phillips then put the Gyrenes ahead with a bloop single to right, scoring Nudera from second.

Keiser got the run back in their next trip to the plate, tying the score at one in the top of the third. Ave Maria answered in the bottom of the fourth, reclaiming the lead. Nudera again reached base, this time on catcher's interference. Gonzalez added a single, and a Keiser error put runners on second and third with no outs. Phillips added her second RBI of the day, bringing Nudera home from third with an RBI groundout.

However, Ave Maria's defensive woes - the Gyrenes made five errors on Sunday - came back to haunt them in the sixth inning. Keiser scored four runs in the top of the sixth, all of which were unearned due to a pair of Ave Maria errors in crucial spots. Those four runs would prove to be the difference in the game, as the Gyrenes were unable to score in their final two trips to the plate.

One would be hard-pressed to fault Ave Maria's pitching staff in the loss, as the Gyrenes allowed just one earned run to the Seahawks. Kaedyn Sutton pitched the first three innings, while Gina Gallegos entered in the fourth and pitched through the sixth. Ashley Nelson tossed the seventh inning for the Gyrenes, and increased her streak of innings without an earned run allowed to 15.2. 

The Gyrenes will have a quick turnaround before their next Sun Conference series, which will be played midweek ahead of the Easter holiday. Ave Maria will battle Southeastern University, who were receiving votes in the newest edition of the NAIA Coaches' Poll, Wednesday and Thursday in Lakeland. The Gyrenes will battle the Fire twice on Wednesday before the series finale on Thursday.