ANGOLA, Ind. - After jumping to the No. 2 spot in the most recent NFCA NCAA Division III poll, the Trine University softball team is now just a win away from winning the MIAA Tournament as they defeated Hope 2-1 and Alma 3-1 to advance to the championship game.
The top seeded Thunder (35-3 overall) jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Hope in the opener as sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) reached on an error with two outs in the third. After stealing second, freshman Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) would drive in Searles on a single to left.
Hope would tie the game in the top of the fourth after a one-out walk was followed by a single and a Trine error.
It came down to the final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh for Trine, but it wouldn’t take long for the Thunder to end it. On the first pitch of the inning, senior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) launched her eighth homer of the season on a shot to right center, and sending the Trine dugout spilling onto the field.
Freshman Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) allowed just four hits and an unearned run while striking out nine and walking two over seven innings.
In the winner’s bracket game, the Thunder faced their rival Alma for the right to advance to the championship game where Trine played as the visitors.
Senior Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) allowed the only run of the game in the bottom of the first after a leadoff walk was followed by a one-out double and then a single. The Scots would load the bases but Gasco would retire two straight batters to limit the damage as Gasco allowed just two more hits the rest of the game.
Trine would get on the board in the top of the second started by a leadoff walk to Lauren Harris. After a sacrifice bunt that allowed pinch runner freshman Riley Larkin (Plainfield, Ind./Avon) to move to second, senior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) doubled to the right center gap, scoring Larkin easily.
The Thunder wouldn’t wait till their last at bat this time, as Gasco reached on an infield single and advanced to second on an error to start the sixth inning. Two outs later it would be Belote delivering again for the Thunder as the senior launched her 14th home run of the season to right center, sending the Trine fans into a frenzy.
Gasco would retire Alma in order in both the sixth and the seventh as she struck out the side to end the game.
In the circle, Gasco finished the afternoon also throwing a four-hitter while allowing just the one earned run and striking out six.
Clark was a perfect 4-for-4 in game two while Belote went 2-for-3 with all three RBIs. Game one saw Lauren Harris collect a pair of hits in going 2-for-2 at the plate with a run and an RBI.
Trine will wait to find out their next opponent as Alma will face Adrian in the elimination bracket final at noon, with the winner facing the Thunder in the championship game at 2:00 p.m. Trine can win the MIAA automatic qualifier with a win, but a loss would force a winner-take-all final at 4:30 p.m.