CLERMONT, FLA.-- The 10th-ranked Trine softball team opened their season by splitting a pair of games Sunday afternoon at the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
The Thunder defeated Methodist 10-4 in the first game of the day, before dropping a 1-0 pitcher's duel to no. 21 Coe. Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) reached base in five of six plate appearances and drove in a run for Trine. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) had three hits, knocked in three runs and stole a base. Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) scattered three hits in six innings, striking out 10 while not allowing an earned run. Trine is 1-1 after the opening day of the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
Game One: Trine 10, Methodist 4
The Trine bats led the way, producing multiple runs in four-consecutive innings to help the Thunder pull away for the victory.
An RBI-groundout by Brittany Banks (Trenton, Ohio/Edgewood) got the Thunder on the board in the bottom of the second, but Methodist answered with three in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Allyson Aycock, Heather Williams and Natalie High picked up RBI's in the inning for the Monarchs.
The Thunder responded with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Jamie Lydick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) drew a walk to start the inning. Searles tripled to right to score Lydick to cut the score to 3-2. Searles came in to score on an error to tie the score, before an RBI-double by Harris put Trine ahead for good.
Searles added an RBI-single as part of a two-run fourth, while Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) added a two-run single in the fifth to make it 8-3. Searles added an RBI-double in the sixth and Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw) drove her home with an RBI-single for Marshall's first RBI at Trine. Searles finished with three hits and three RBI's.
Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind./Beech Grove) picked up the victory, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out four over 4.2 innings.
Game Two: Coe 1, Trine 0 (6 innings)
Arran Weeces tossed a no-hitter to lead no. 21 Coe over the 10th-ranked Thunder.
Weeces walked two and struck out two to earn the victory. She recorded 13 of her outs via flyout.
The Kohawks scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Brianna Gardner singled home Gretchen Lilienthal with two outs.
Fuller nearly matched Weeces' effort, allowing just an unearned run while going the full six innings. Fuller walked one and struck out 10, while surrendering three hits. Fuller has now reached double-digit strikeouts four times in her Thunder career.
Trine returns to action tomorrow in the Dot Richardson Spring Games. The Thunder will face Misericordia at 1:00 p.m., followed by Neumann at 3:00.