AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Softball team won their second conference series in a row Saturday as they split a doubleheader with the Warner Royals. Ave Maria won the first game 5-0 to clinch the series win and then fell 5-3 in the finale.

The first game of the doubleheader was one of the worst defended games the Gyrenes have seen all season, and they made the Royals pay for it. Warner committed six errors in the field that led to four unearned runs for the Gyrenes.

The scoring started in the first inning for Ave Maria. Back-to-back batters got aboard via an error by the Warner infield, putting two runners on. A couple of at bats later, Sienna Franklin dropped a single into center field that brought home Annabella Phillips for the game's first run. The ball then bounced off the center fielder and rolled to the side, giving enough time for Kate McIntyre to score from first and put the Gyrenes up 2-0.

In the third, another error in the infield allowed two more runs to score as Mary McIntire and Franklin were brought home on a grounder from Neveah Wing that skipped off the second baseman's glove.

The Gyrenes added one more run in the fifth inning for good measure with an RBI double from Alexa Hehl that scored Wing. It was the only earned run of the day for the Gyrenes and the fourth double of the year for Hehl.

In the circle, Kaedyn Sutton was lights out as she pitched her 10^th career complete game shutout. Sutton didn't give Warner much to work with, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out two batters. Sutton is the first Gyrene in program history to record double digit shutouts in a career.

Ave Maria tried to complete the sweep in the second game of the doubleheader and scored the first two runs of the game, but Warner had a big four-run inning to avoid the brooms.

The first of those two opening runs for the Gyrenes came in the bottom of the first. With runners on the corners, McIntyre laid a sacrifice bunt down in front of the plate that allowed Cecilia Garrett to score.

In the second inning, Wing slapped a ball right back to the pitcher in the circle and got it to bounce of her leg and land in fair territory. Wing made it safely to first off the single and McIntire came into score.

The Gyrenes were feeling good about their two-run lead, but then the Royals exploded for four runs in the top of the third. Warner loaded the bases early in the inning and then kept the pressure on to get their runs.

Things quieted down in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings with the game remaining 4-2. The Royals got one more run in the top of the seventh to extend their lead.

Ave Maria showed a little life in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Gyrenes strung three singles in a row to load up the bases, putting the tying run on first and the winning run at the plate. After a lineout for the first out, McIntyre got her second RBI of the game with a single to centerfield that brought home Brigid Hood, who pinch ran for the catcher Karsyn Moore.

Now the tying run was at second the winning run was aboard, but a double play ended things before the Gyrenes could go any further.

The split moves Ave Maria's record to 15-17-1 overall and 4-5 in conference play. The Gyrenes win their second conference series in a row as they take two of three from the Royals. Ave Maria has now matched the number of series they won last year just three series into the conference season.

The Gyrenes won't be back home until April as they wrap up March with six games on the road. Ave Maria will play two road Sun Conference series in the span of just five days. First they travel north to Sarasota, Florida, to take on the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans. The Banyans are in their inaugural season as a Sun Conference member and are currently 3-4 in league play. Then the Gyrenes travel east for a three-game set with the Florida Memorial Lions. FMU is currently winless in conference play with a record of 0-4.

The first of these six games is Tuesday, March 25, against the Mighty Banyans. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on the Sun Digital Network.