MELBOURNE, Fla.- The Ave Maria University finally broke through for a sweep at the Space Coast Spring Games, winning two on Wednesday after splitting each of their first four doubleheaders in Melbourne. The Gyrenes battled back for a 7-6 victory over Saint Francis in the opener, then secured the sweep with a massive nine-run sixth inning in a 10-2 win over Bethel. The win gave AMU 21 wins on the season, already eclipsing the 19 wins from last season.

It was an eventful first inning in the opener against Saint Francis, with each team pushing two runs across. Down 2-0, Ave Maria used two key hits to push the tying runs acors. With a runner on first and two outs, Annabella Phillips blooped a single to right field that skipped away from the fielder, allowing Ashley Altman to score from first. Phillips then scored herself on an RBI double from Ashley Nelson, evening the score.

After three scoreless innings of play, Ave Maria seemed to take control of the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. AMU pushed the first two runs across on back-to-back extra base hits from Altman and Phillips -  a triple from Altman and a double from Phillips. Phillips would score on a sacrifice fly from Nelson before Maya Gonzalez, who had entered the game as the pitcher - belted her first home run of the season with a mammoth shot well over the left field fence, putting AMU up 6-2.

Saint Francis responded with four runs of their own in the top of the sixth to tie the game, but AMU responded in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Cecilia Garrett started the inning with a single, then moved to second on a stolen base. Ryanne Saluter singled to move Garrett to third against her hometown school, then Altman drove in what proved to be the winning run with an RBI groundout.

In addition to her home run, Gonzalez was also the winning pitcher for the Gyrenes, tossing two innings. Nelson tossed a perfect seventh inning to earn her third save of the season, making her one of just five NAIA pitchers nationally with three or more saves.

Game two saw Ave Maria and Bethel play three scoreless innings before both teams got on the board in the fourth. Bethel scored twice to take a 2-0 lead, but the Gyrenes responded in loud fashion. Phillips continued her hot hitting on the day, lining a home run over the left field fence. The Phillips homer cut the Bethel lead in half to 2-1.

The Gyrenes entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 2-1. Ave Maria left the sixth inning, nine runs later, with a 10-2 run rule win. The Gyrenes scored their nine runs on eight hits, including a two-run single from Garrett and a two-run triple from Altman. Gonzalez also drove in two runs in the inning, tying the game with a bunt single and then ending the game with an RBI single in her second appearance of the inning. 

Gina Gallegos picked up her sixth win of the season, allowing just one earned run over her six complete innings of work. The AMU offensive leaders were Altman and Gonzalez, who both went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in.

Ave Maria's spring break trip concludes Friday, with the last of Ave Maria's 12 games this season in Melbourne. The Gyrenes will battle Siena Heights University from Michigan in the opening game of the day at 10:00 a.m., then will finish play against Fisher College from Massachusetts at 12:15 p.m.