MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. – The Ave Maria Softball team wrapped up their third conference series of the season Saturday with a doubleheader against the No. 12 St. Thomas Bobcats. Both games went in favor of the Bobcats as Ave Maria fell 5-4 in the first game and 9-2 in the second game.
The Gyrenes logged their first lead of the series as they scored the opening run in the top of the second inning. Haleigh Campbell put a ball in play that the Bobcats could not handle well and reached safely on a fielding error from the third baseman. Ashley Lykins scored on the play to put the Gyrenes up 1-0.
In the top of the third, Lykins doubled up the Gyrenes lead, singling up the middle and bringing in Genevieve Peterson.
The Bobcats responded in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three runs to take their first lead of the game.
In the top of the fifth, Karson Moore put the Gyrenes back on top with a two-RBI double down the left field line. Lykins and Sienna Franklin scored on the play, giving Ave Maria a 4-3 lead.
Again, St. Thomas responded in the bottom half of the inning, batting in a run and tying the game at 4-4.
After a quiet sixth, Ave Maria got the go ahead run at third in the top of the seventh. Peterson logged her first hit and third appearance on the bags with a one-out single. A wild pitch then moved her to second and a sac bunt pushed her to third. The Gyrenes were 60 feet from taking the lead, but a rolled over ground out ended the frame.
In the bottom half of the frame, St. Thomas walked it off with back-to-back doubles, winning the game 5-4.
At the plate, Lykins led the team with two hits and an RBI. Karsyn Moore added a hit and two RBI.
On the mound Karsyn Sutton pitched four innings and Liz Negron pitched two innings.
The second game was not nearly as close as the first game. The Bobcats put themselves on the board first with a run in each of the two opening frames.
Ave Maria lit up the scoreboard for the first time in the third as Hailee Howe singled up the middle to bring home Peterson.
The Bobcats immediately responded with a run in the bottom of the third. If that wasn't enough, St. Thomas doubled their run total with three more in the fourth inning.
The Gyrenes logged their final run in the fifth when Peterson batted in Kaitlyn O'Neill with an RBI single.
The Bobcats finished the game by adding three more runs, including two off a homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Peterson led the Gyrenes recording three hits and an RBI.
In the circle, Lindsey Watson pitched three innings. Negron tossed another two innings in her second game of the day and recorded a season high three strikeouts. Sutton tossed the final inning in her second appearance of the day as well.
With the two losses, the Gyrene record falls to 4-17 and 0-9 in the conference.
The Gyrenes stay on the road for their next series as they take a trip up to the Peach State to take on the Coastal Georgia Mariners. Coastal Georgia swept Webber over the weekend to improve to 8-1 in Sun Conference play. The series gets underway Friday, March 27, with a doubleheader. The first game will start at 1 p.m. and the second game will start at 3 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network.
