ANGOLA, Ind. - Trine University’s softball team appeared eager to put Thursday’s loss behind as the Thunder got off to a stronger start this morning when it faced the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders. A homer and RBI by Trine senior Lauren Harris helped put the No. 1-seeded Thunder past the No. 5-seed Raiders, 6-4, during the fifth game of the 2013 NCAA Division III Angola Softball Regional.
Trine lit up the scoreboard in the second inning with three runs. Lauren Harris hit a line drive past the shortstop to earn a double and bring in senior Andi Gasco - who was walked by Raiders pitcher Rachel McAninch and then stole second. Fleet-footed freshman Riley Larkin went in to run for Harris at second base. Sophomore Leah Hall got a walk, putting runners on first and second when senior Sarah Belote was out on a fly ball to center field.
Sophomore Rachel Harris was at bat when Larkin took advantage of an error to advance to third and then scoring. On out later, junior Haleigh Daniels drove one between first and second bases, reaching on an error as Hall scored on the play to lead 3-0.
In the third, Hall hit a double to bring in Gasco, who had hit a fly ball to left center for a double. Rachel Harris hit a fly ball past the shortstop and Hall scored the second run of the inning that ended 5-0 in Trine’s favor.
In the fifth Lauren Harris smacked Trine’s first homer of the tournament over the left field fence.
“Yesterday the whole team struggled as a group and we tried too hard to hit,” Harris said after the game. “When we have our first hitter get on, it’s a huge lift for us ¦ and we usually string hits together and score runs.”
The Raiders rallied and answered the homer with four runs off Trine pitcher Bree Fuller, a sophomore. Junior Shelby Carmichael started the effort with a double to left center. Senior Rachel Jesso hit a ball to left field and advanced to second on an error while Carmichael made her way to third. Senior Marissa Earl got on base with a walk, loading the bases. Senior Kristen Gromes had a sacrifice fly to center and scoring Carmichael. Junior Brittany Papp hit a double to left center to bring in two more run. Sophomore Leigh Siedlak tripled down the left field line to plate another run.
Before the fifth, “we just kept talking about continuing to do what we’ve done all year long … we’ve made comebacks,” Raiders head coach Sandy Douglas said.
With two outs for the Raiders, Trine brought in relief pitcher, freshman Justine Robles. She walked one batter before freshman Andi VanSickle hit a grounder to third and was thrown out at first.
Robles struck out the first two batters of the seventh to earn her first career save.
“We didn’t adjust to the pitcher,” Douglas said of Robles. “Our defense has been down a couple weeks this year but we came out in time to win the championship,” Douglas said of her team’s OAC tournament title that gave the Raiders an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
“We regrouped well … but the last two innings we couldn’t produce runs,” Douglas said.
“Today was about being patient,” said Trine head coach Donnie Danklefsen. Thursday, Trine lost 5-1 to Anderson University, the team’s first loss since April 3 to Defiance College. “When she threw strikes we hit the ones we liked.”
Danklefsen said he changed his defense during the fifth in an effort to get “kids more comfortable to settle us down.”
His strategy appeared to pay off as the Thunder stopped the Raiders’ rally and hung on to win.
“It felt really good, especially having my team behind me,” Robles said. “I’m prepared and ready to go when they need me.”
Trine advances to the next round at noon Saturday, May 11, and will face the loser of the Allegheny College vs. Capital University game that’s scheduled to be played at 4 p.m. today.
The loss eliminated Mount Union rom the tournament.
