CLERMONT, FLA.-- The 16th-ranked Trine softball team closed out its performance in the Dot Richardson Spring Games with an 8-0 victory over Elizabethtown and a 17-0 victory over Regis Friday afternoon.
Freshman Brittany Banks (Trenton, Ohio/Edgewood) broke out in a big way for Trine with a five-hit, five-RBI day. She recorded the first hit of her Thunder career in the victory over Elizabethtown. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) continued to wreak havoc at the top of the lineup with four hits, three RBI's and four runs scored. She also picked up the victory in game two. Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) tossed a dominating one-hit shutout to earn the victory over Elizabethtown. Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) had five hits and four RBI's on the day. Trine concludes their performance in the Dot Richardson Spring Games with an overall record of 8-1.
Game One: Trine 8, Elizabethtown 0
The Thunder bats provided more than enough run support for Fuller, who allowed just one baserunner in the victory.
Fuller turned in a simply dominating performance in the circle to improve her record to 4-1 on the season. The junior struck out the first nine batters in order, and retired the first 13 batters of the game in order. She struck out 11 of the first 12 hitters she faced. Fuller's 11 strikeouts matched a career-high. Fuller has struck out nine or more in four of her five starts this season.
Banks provided the highlights of the game at the plate for the Thunder. Her first-career hit led to Trine's first run, as she came in to score on an error to make it 1-0 in the top of the second. She added two-run singles in the third and fifth innings for a four-RBI effort.
Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw) drove in a run with an RBI-single in the third, while Jamie Schnarr (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering) knocked home a pair of runs with a pinch-hit single in the fifth.
Kaylee Werner had the lone hit for Elizabethtown. Justyna Pepkowski was tagged with the loss.
Game Two: Trine 17, Regis (Mass.) 0
Trine got contributions from up and down the lineup as the Thunder pounded out 16 hits and pulled away with an 11-run fourth to earn the victory.
Searles continued to be a menace for opposing teams at the top of the lineup. The junior did a little bit of everything for the Thunder in the game, with three hits including a double and a triple, three runs scored, four RBI's and three shutout innings in the circle.
Harris finished 4-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) belted a two-run homer, her second homer of the season, while Jillian Craig (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) also drove in two runs. Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central), Banks, Alicia Eavey (Avon, Ind./Covenant Christian) and Riley Larkin (Plainfield, Ind./Avon) also picked up RBI's for the Thunder.
Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lake Wood) and Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind./Beech Grove) each struck out the side in an inning of work in relief.
Trine is scheduled to return to action Saturday, Mar. 15 when they host Bluffton at 1:00 p.m.