AVE MARIA, Fla. - The College of Coastal Georgia softball team completed their three game sweep of the Ave Maria Gyrenes on Saturday afternoon, winning game three of the series by a final score of 9-6. 

Neither side recorded a hit in the first inning, although the Gyrenes (11-15-1, 0-3 SUN) missed a golden opportunity to take advantage of two Mariners (18-4, 3-0 SUN) errors in the inning as the game went into the second inning still tied at zero all.

In the second, the Mariners broke through to score the first run of the game. McKenzie Collins started the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt from Mackenzie Southerland. With two outs, Alyssa Haggerty drew a walk to put runners at the corners, and Emma Jones brought home Collins as CCGA used a Gyrenes error to score the game's first run. 

In the bottom half, the Gyrenes wasted no time with their answer, striking for three runs in the inning. The big blow came from McIntire, a two out two RBI triple, as AMU took a 3-1 lead into the third.

Neither side made any noise in the third, and with Gallegos shutting down the Mariners offense still in the fourth, Ave Maria added on with three more in the fourth to take a commanding 6-1 lead into the fifth. 

Needing a big inning offensively, the Mariners got one in the top of the fifth inning, striking for three runs. CCGA managed just two hits in the inning, but took advantage of three Gyrenes errors in the inning to fuel the scoring surge. The inning came to a controversial ending, however, as Collins sent a double into left center which scored Callaway, but Andrews was thrown out at third trying to move up an extra 60 feet as the momentum of the inning was cut short, but CCGA was back in the game, now trailing 6-4. Collins returned to the circle and took her frustrations out defensively, firing a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth to send the game to the sixth with the same score.

The offense returned once again in the sixth as Southerland started the inning with a single and moved to third on a pinch hit double from Brooke Perdue. With runners on second and third and no outs, Alyssa Haggerty drew a walk to load the bases, and Jones brought home Southerland with a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to just one at 6-5. Still with the bases loaded, Carolino drew a walk to score Perdue and tie the game back at six apiece. Another run came in to score on a Callaway fielder's choice, and Andrews put the nail in the coffin with a two RBI double to cap a five run sixth inning and give the Mariners a 9-6 lead into the bottom half of the inning. Collins once again worked a clean inning, as the game went into the seventh with CCGA needing just three outs to win the game.

The Mariners got no more offensive help in the seventh, and in the bottom half, AMU did not go quietly. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, forcing head coach Mike Minick to re-enter starter Mills to try and close the game out. Entering the game, Mills forced three straight popouts from the Gyrenes to end the game and complete the sweep for CCGA as they won game three of the series 9-6.

Southerland and Perdue both finished 2-3 from the plate while Andrews led the way with three RBI's on the afternoon. It took all three pitchers to get it done in game three, but Collins picks up win number three on the season with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief while Mills picked up the save. 

CCGA returns home for a three game series with the St Thomas Bobcats next weekend.