CLERMONT, FLA.-- The 10th-ranked Trine softball team picked up a 5-3 victory over Susquehanna and a 10-0 victory in five innings over Illinois College in the Dot Richardson Spring Games Tuesday afternoon.
Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) homered and drove in three runs, while Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) added her second home run of the season and drove in a pair of runs. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) continued to be a force at the top of the lineup for the Thunder, picking up two hits, three RBI's and four steals on the day. Searles also picked up the win against Illinois College. Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) tossed a complete game to earn the victory against Susquehanna. With the two victories, Trine is now 5-1 on the season.
Game One: Trine 5, Susquehanna 3
Susquehanna fought back from a three-run deficit to tie the score in the top of the fifth, but the Thunder were able to rally for a run in the bottom of the fifth and add an insurance run in the sixth to earn the victory.
Searles walked, stole a pair of bases and scored on a passed ball to put Trine up 1-0 after one. Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Canton) and Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) each added RBI-singles in a two-run fourth to put the Thunder up three.
The Crusaders were able to rally back to tie the score in the top of the fifth. Anna Heggenstaller and Sarah Bush each drove in a run with an RBI-single, while Taylor Brady added a sacrifice fly to tie the score.
A leadoff single by Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) jump-started the Trine rally for the go-ahead run. Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw) moved Clark into scoring position with a sac bunt. Clark advanced to third on a passed ball and Harris walked to put runners at the corners for Hall, who lined a single to right to score Clark with what would prove to be the game-winning run.
Jamie Lydick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) added an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 5-3 and give the Thunder an insurance run.
Fuller went the distance in the circle to earn the win, allowing two earned runs on four hits. She struck out 10, and has now recorded double-digit strikeouts in a game five times in her Trine career. Fuller is now 2-1 on the season.
Clark had three hits and two steals for the Thunder, who stole six bases in the game. Searles also swiped two bags.
Jamie Fesinstine was charged with the loss for the Crusaders, who fell to 3-3 on the season.
Game Two: Trine 10, Illinois College 0 (5)
The Thunder exploded for eight runs in the first inning and Searles shut down the Lady Blues' bats to earn the victory.
Harris and Hall hit back-to-back homers to get Trine out to an early 4-0 lead. Harris' three-run shot came after a Searles single and Clark walk. Harris' bomb was her first of the season, while Hall's was her second in as many days. The Thunder then loaded the bases on a walk and pair of errors. Searles cleared the bags with a three-run triple to make it 7-0. Searles scored on a wild pitch to cap the inning.
Searles scored on an error in the third and Lydick added an RBI-single in the fourth for the final margin.
Searles struck out a career-high eight over five shutout innings to earn her first victory of the season. She allowed four hits and walked one.
Alese Speckhart was tagged with the loss for Illinois College, who fell to 1-3 on the season.
Trine gets a day off tomorrow before continuing play in the Dot Richardson Spring Games on Thursday. The Thunder will face Finlandia at 9:00 a.m., followed by Grove City at 1:00 p.m.