AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Softball team won game one of a doubleheader against the Calumet Crimson Wave in dramatic fashion, bringing home the winning run off a walk-off error in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 5-4. Calumet took the second game 7-4 to split the doubleheader.
Game one got off to a loud start with both teams lighting up the scoreboard in the first inning. The Crimson Wave struck for two runs in the top of first.
Ave Maria responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame off an RBI single from Annabella Phillips to bring home Alexia Bracero.
Both teams went quiet for the next couple of innings. Calumet got their lead back to two with a run in the top of the fourth.
The Gyrenes took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, bringing home three runs. Phillips got the rally started with her second RBI hit of the day, this time a two-RBI triple to tie the game at three. Hailey Howe brought her home on the next at bat with an RBI single to put AMU on top 4-3.
The Gyrenes held off the Crimson Wave in the sixth and got the first two outs in the seventh. However, Calumet strung together back-to-back doubles to tie the game at four and send it to the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Gyrenes put two runners on in scoring position with two outs. Sienna Franklin came in to pinch hit with two outs on the board and rolled a ball up the left side of the infield. It could have been out number three, but a throwing error from the shortstop pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Howe to score the winning run.
Phillips got the win in the circle in game one after coming in to pitch after Calumet tied the game in the top of the seventh.
The second game was not as favorable for the Gyrenes as the first.
Ave Maria recorded 10 hits in the game, just the fifth time this season they have had double digit hits, but left seven runners on the bags to lose 7-4.
Calumet opened the scoring again, bringing home one run in the first and two runs in the second.
The Gyrenes scratched home a run in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back sacrifice bunts to get back within two of the Crimson Wave.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth inning, keeping the deficit at two heading into the final frame. The Gyrenes scored off an error by the first baseman to bring home Howe.
A two-run deficit heading into the final inning seemed manageable for the Gyrenes, but Calumet had other plans. The Crimson Wave scored three runs in the top of the seventh to go up 7-2, the largest lead of both games.
Ave Maria did get two runs in the bottom half of the seventh making up for the original deficit, but could not come back down five. Phillips recorded her third RBI hit of the doubleheader to bring home the two runs.
With the split, the Gyrenes' record moves to 7-12-1 and 4-6 at home.
Phillips had the big bat of the game for Ave Maria, collecting four hits and five RBI. Howe led the team with five hits and had one RBI.
The Gyrenes are back home Sunday, March 2, for another doubleheader with a team from the midwest. Ave Maria takes on the Cleary Cougars from Michigan. The two teams met for one game last season in the USSSA Space Coast Games. The Gyrenes won 1-0.
First pitches are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.
