LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team took a game from a Sun Conference power this week, knocking off the Southeastern University Fire once in a three-game series in Lakeland. The Gyrenes dropped the first two games of the series, but entered the Easter holiday feeling good after a 6-4 win in the finale. AMU's first conference win of the season marked the second year in a row where the Gyrenes stole game three of the series against the Fire.
Ave Maria's bats were stymied in game one, with Southeastern claiming a 3-0 victory thanks to a two-run home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth. The Gyrenes managed three hits in the opener, led by a double from senior Ryanne Saluter. Maya Gonzalez and Ashley Altman also added singles. Kaedyn Sutton and Ashley Nelson handled pitching duties, and kept AMU in the game for much of the contest.
In game two, the Gyrenes led from the start, as Southeastern scored two in the first en route to a 6-1 victory. Ave Maria did manage their first run of the series in the top of the second, as an RBI single from Nelson plated Annabella Phillips. Southeastern did respond with a run in the fourth and three more in the sixth to put the game away.
Game three saw the Gyrenes grab their first lead of the series, going up 1-0 in the top of the fourth. Marisa Michi started the frame with a double, which would prove to be the day's theme. A flyout moved Michi to third, and Karsyn Moore came up with the big hit of the inning, a two-out ground rule double that opened the scoring in the Gyrenes' favor.
The fifth inning of game three was a massive one for the Gyrenes, and one AMU hopes will be a turning point for the season. The Gyrenes loaded the bases with one out thanks to a walk, a hit by pitch, and a single from Nelson. Michi then added to her record RBI total with a walk, expanding the AMU lead to 2-0. After a fielder's choice kept the bases loaded, Maya Gonzalez came up with one of the biggest hits of the season, a mammoth grand slam over the left field fence.
Gonzalez's grand slam made it 6-0, but Southeastern was able to cut into the AMU lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Southeastern again threatened in the seventh, loading the bases, but closer Ashley Nelson induced a groundout to earn her fourth save of the season, a total that leads The Sun Conference and is a single-season Ave Maria record.
Marisa Michi had a historic day at the plate for the Gyrenes, going 3-for-3 with three doubles. Michi not only became the first player in school history to have three doubles in a single game, but her third double was the 36th of her career, breaking the Gyrene career record set seven years ago by Alyssa Colding. Elsewhere, Gina Gallegos was the winning pitcher for AMU, working into the fifth before handing the ball off to Nelson.
A key Sun Conference series awaits the Gyrenes next weekend, as Ave Maria will play three games against Webber International University. AMU is one game behind the Warriors in The Sun Conference standings, and a series victory would propel the Gyrenes closer to a berth in the conference tournament. The series will consist of one game Friday and two on Saturday at the AMU Softball Complex.
