SARASOTA, Fla. — The Ave Maria Softball team split their doubleheader with New College to close their series with the Mighty Banyans. The Gyrenes took game one 2-0 and led for most of the second game, but fell 5-3.
Game one started off scoreless for the first five innings. In the circle, Claudia Knowles made her first start of the season and tossed a strong opening three innings. Knowles struck out two batters in her first three frames and worked a quick 1-2-3 second inning.
In the fourth, New College got a runner to third base after a double and a groundout. Ave Maria went to the bullpen and pulled out Kaedyn Sutton to get out of the jam and she did just that. Sutton finished the final three innings in the circle for the Gyrenes.
At the plate, the Gyrenes had a tough time getting through as well, but finally found the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases empty and one out, Hailee Howe came in to pinch hit and crushed a ball deep over the center field wall for her first home run of the year. It was the third home run of her career and her first since 2023. It is also the first time the Gyrenes have left the yard in back-to-back games since March 6, 2024, when Ave Maria homered against Saint Francis and Bethel on the same day in the USSSA Space Coast Games.
Ave Maria added an insurance run in the top of the seventh with Genevieve Peterson scoring on a wild pitch. Peterson had reached base on her second single of the game, recording her fifth multi-hit game of the season. She was the only Gyrenes with multiple hits in the game.
The Gyrenes made one more pitching change in the bottom of the seventh inning and moved Annabella Phillips from third base to in the circle. New College made it interesting by loading the bases with only one out, putting the tying run on second and the go ahead run on first. However, the next Mighty Banyan batter popped the ball up near the third base line and Phillips ran over to make the grab for out number two. She then looked down the line and saw the New College runner nearly halfway to the plate and quickly threw to third to double up the Mighty Bayans and end the game in favor of the Gyrenes.
Phillips got the first save of the season for the Gyrene pitching staff tossing just the lone inning. Sutton got the win to move her record to 8-4 on the year.
The Gyrenes opened the scoring in game two much earlier than they did in game one, lighting up the scoreboard in the second inning. With two runners on, Karsyn Moore slapped a double to center field to bring home Mary McIntire and move Neveah Wing to third. Wing was brought home a couple of at bats later off a fielding error from the New College shortstop that put Cecilia Garrett on.
In the top of the fifth, Howe got her second RBI of the day, this time with a sacrifice fly to left field that brought home Garrett.
However, the three run lead wasn't safe as the Mighty Banyans brought three of their own in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, New College brought home the winning run with a two-run homer.
The Gyrenes got a runner on in the top of the seventh, but New College returned the favor from the first game by ending the game with a double play.
Moore led the team in hits with a season-high three in the second game, two of them for doubles. It is her seventh multi-hit game of the year.
With the split, Ave Maria's record moves to 16-19-1 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The Gyrenes dropped the series to New College 2-1 after winning their last two series. With a 5-7 record, Ave Maria is seventh in the Sun Conference standings. They are just a half game back of the Webber Warriors who are in sixth and three games ahead of the Warner Royals who are in eighth.
The Gyrenes stay on the road for their next series, traveling east to Miami Gardens to take on the Florida Memorial Lions. FMU is currently winless in conference play at 0-9. The series will start Friday, March 28, with first pitch set for 3 p.m.
