OLIVET, Mich. - It was a monster day for the No. 5 Trine University softball team as they set or tied four NCAA Division III records and numerous team records as they swept Olivet 34-0 and 19-0. Trine senior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) set two records (total bases and RBIs) and tied another (home runs) as the Thunder set another (total bases) as a team. The wins improve the Thunder to 21-3 on the season and 4-0 in the MIAA.

Trine came out of the gates quickly as they scored five runs in the top of the first. The first four batters reached base as sophomore Amy Newell (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers) drove in a run on a single and senior Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) drove in a pair on a double. With two outs, Belote would drive in another on a single.

The Thunder put another five spot on the board in the second. After a leadoff triple from freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey), freshman Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) would score her on a sacrifice fly. The Thunder would then get consecutive doubles by Newell, Gasco and senior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) to plate a pair of runs. Then with two outs, Belote would hit her first home run of the game to close out the inning.

In the third, Trine plated seven runs, all coming with at least one out. After back-to-back singles by Clark and Newell, Gasco would hit her 12th homer of the season. After a Lauren Harris double and a walk, Belote would go yard for the second time. Trine would add a run on an RBI single by Searles with two outs.

The Thunder offense kept it going in the fourth as they plated 11 runs in the inning. Lauren Harris would hit her sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot and Belote would follow with a two-run shot of her own. Sophomore Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) then tripled and scored on a ground out by junior Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton). The Thunder would add runs on a double by Newell and a bases loaded double by Belote that scored all three runners.

The scoring barrage would come to a close in the fifth as Trine plated their final six runs. Trine would get leadoff doubles from Daniels and Searles and then Clark would get in on the action with her fourth home run of the year. Two outs later, Hall would single after Lauren Harris had reached on a fielder’s choice. Belote would step in and deliver on her fourth home run of the game, and her second three-run shot.

Gasco earned her 10th win of the season as she went four innings while allowing just one hit, which came in the first, while striking out a season-high 10. Freshman Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lake Wood) came on for the fifth inning and struck out all three batters she faced.

Belote went 6 for 6 in game one including four home runs, which ties a NCAA Division III record, to go along with an NCAA Collegiate (DI, DII and DIII) record with 14 RBIs and 19 total bases. Belote now shares the individual record for homers in a game with two other players, Lynn Herman and Giovanna Roberson, Herman was the most recent occurring on March 20, 2010. The previous DIII record for RBIs was 12 held by Roberson of Hunter College vs. Medgar Evers Collegeon April 22, 1998 and Gina Moscato of Farmingdale St. vs. John Jay on March 13, 2004. The previous total bases record was 18 and was also held by Roberson from the same game in 1998.

The six hits by Belote ranks tied for second all-time in DIII. Belote also had three straight home runs in the game (second, third and fourth innings) which is tied for fourth in DIII history.

As a team, the Thunder also put their mark in the DIII record book as they collected 63 total bases which broke the DIII mark of 58 set by Hunter College vs. Baruch on April 6, 2000. Trine also went into the books as they collected 29 hits, tied for 14th; nine doubles, tied for fifth; seven home runs, tied for third; 31 RBIs, tied for seventh; 34 runs, tied for 20th; and margin of victory, tied for 13th. All of which also set single-game school records.

After all of the excitement that game one brought, the Thunder still had to play game two against the Comets. Trine though, showed they were up to the challenge as they scored eight runs in the bottom of the first.

The first four batters reached base as Clark doubled and Newell connected on her second home run of the season, a three-run shot. After a single by Gasco, one out later Hall would double to score her. Belote would then follow with her fifth home run of the day, a two-run blast. Trine would add a pair of runs after a double by Daniels, a sacrifice fly by Searles and a single by Clark.

Trine would have their streak of nine straight innings scoring a run come to a halt in the second as just one batter reached base.

In the third, Trine would get a pair of doubles to lead off the inning by Rachel Harris and Daniels, which would scored Harris. Daniels would then score on a single by Searles.

The Thunder would plate eight more runs in the bottom of the fourth, all coming with two outs. After Belote reached on an error and Searles walked, the two would score on an Olivet error after a single by pinch hitter, freshman Breann Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind./Beech Grove). Newell would double to score Cooper and Newell would then score on an Olivet error. Lauren Harris would single to score Gasco and pinch hitter, senior Ashton Morgan (Berne, Ind./South Adams) would triple to score Harris and Hall. Junior Jamie Lydick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) would plate the game’s final run on a single.

Sophomore Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) earned her eighth win of the season as she also went four innings while striking out seven and allowing just three hits. Robles again came on for the final inning to strike out two of the three batters she faced.

All 12 of Trine’s batters that went to the plate on the afternoon collected at least one hit. Also, every Trine starter collected at least three hits and scored at least two runs as the Thunder hit .603 on the day while collecting 47 hits including 15 doubles, nine home runs and three triples.

Belote would lead the way going 7 for 9 on the day with five home runs, 16 RBIs, and seven runs scored. Gasco went 6 for 7 at the plate with seven runs, six RBIs and three walks. Newell would also collect six hits on the afternoon to go along with six RBIs and six runs scored. Rachel Harris would too collect six hits to go along with two runs.

Clark connected on 5 of 7 at the plate with five runs and four RBIs. Lauren Harris and Searles both had four hits and four RBIs while Searles scored seven times and stole three bases and Harris collected six runs. Hall and Daniels collected three hits apiece on the day with all three of Daniels’ coming as doubles. Hall scored six times while being walked three times and Daniels came across the plate three times.

During their home run barrage in game one, the Thunder set a new single season record eclipsing the mark of 41 that was set just a season ago.

Also during game one, Gasco set the Trine career record for most doubles with 39, surpassing the mark of 38 set by Kara Graham (2006-2009).

Trine will takes a couple of days off to rest up after playing six games in four days as they host Alma for a very important MIAA doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.