MELBOURNE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University softball team continued their trend of splitting doubleheaders at the USSSA Space Coast Complex, winning one out of two in the first of four twinbills this week in Melbourne. The Gyrenes rode a dominant performance from Kaedyn Sutton to a 3-0 win over Lourdes in the opener, then dropped a 7-3 decision to nationally-ranked Indiana Wesleyan in the nightcap.

Ave Maria never trailed in the opening game of the doubleheader, taking the lead in the top of the third inning. The big hit of the inning was provided by Ashley Lykins, as the sophomore lined a triple to right center field against her home state school. The next hitter, Ryanne Saluter, put the Gyrenes up for good with an RBI groundout to the third baseman. 

After two more scoreless innings, the Gyrenes added the first of two insurance runs in the top of the sixth. A leadoff single again got things going for AMU, this time from Annabella Phillips. AMU then loaded the bases on a walk to Annie Nudera and a single from Ashley Nelson. After a popout, Cecilia Garrett reached on a fielder's choice, pushing Phillips home to give Ave Maria a 2-0 lead.

The last of Ave Maria's three runs came in the top of the seventh. Saluter started the inning with a single, then moved to second on a Marisa Michi groundout. After a walk to Phillips, Nudera completed the scoring with an RBI single up the middle.

Kaedyn Sutton, an Ohio native, was masterful against her Buckeye State competition. Sutton moved to 4-0 on the season with a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits across seven innings of work. Sutton struck out two Lourdes hitters, and did not surrender a walk.

The Gyrenes got off to a good start in the nightcap against Indiana Wesleyan, scoring twice in the bottom of the first. Lykins led off the inning with a single, and Saluter was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. After a stolen base and an error moved the runners to second and third, both runners came in to score on an Ashley Nelson sacrifice fly and an ensuing error.

However, that Ave Maria lead would not last, as Indiana Wesleyan scored six runs in the fourth and another in the seventh to pull away from the Gyrenes. Ave Maria did get one run back in the bottom of the sixth, as a single from  Garrett and an IWU error allowed Nudera to score.

Lykins and Garrett did much of the offensive work for the Gyrenes against the Wildcats, logging two hits each to account for four of Ave Maria's five hits. Ashley Altman had Ave Maria's other hit, a single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

AMU's trip to Melbourne continues Tuesday, with two more games against midwestern opponents. The Gyrenes will battle Cleary University at 10:00 a.m., and will finish the day against Concordia University Ann Arbor at 12:15 p.m.