Box Score
LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Warner University softball picked up their second win of the season as they defeated the Ave Maria University Gyrenes 11-2 (five innings) Saturday at Daly Field in the Warner Invitational. The Royals improve to 2-0 for the season while the Gyrenes are 4-4 for the season.
The Royals found themselves down two runs early in the game as the Gyrenes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a throwing error that advanced two runners. It would be the only runs the Royals allowed as they shutout the Gyrenes for the remainder of the game.
Warner tied the game in the third inning on a two-RBI single from Franki Grimes to bring home Danielle Fennimore and Lindsay Garchinski . It would be one of Grimes’ three hits for the game as she finished the game hitting 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI’s.
The Royals offense exploded in the following inning as they rattled off six runs in the inning to push their lead to 8-2. Warner tallied their six runs off of five hits highlighted by Fennimore double to score Grimes and Brooke Gary .
In the final inning, Garchinski kept the momentum from the big fourth-inning going as she hit a triple to outfield to start off the inning. Gary followed with a double that brought Garchinski home and to push the Royals lead to 9-2. With only two runs needed to end the game due to the run-rule, Heather Norris hit a two-RBI single to score Amber Boyd and Gary to end the game.
Gary and Jamie Leigha Smith joined Grimes with multiple hits; Gary was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI’s and Smith finished 2-for-2 with a run and a RBI.
Kaitlyn Grimail started on the diamond for the Royals, pitching 3.1 innings while striking out five batters and surrendering only one hit. Rebecca Powell pitched 1.2 relief innings while striking out four and giving up no hits to pickup her second win of the season.
The Royals will now look towards playing NCAA-II Eckerd College when they travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. to play the Tritons in a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Sat. Feb. 13.