ANGOLA, IND.—The fifth-ranked Trine softball team extended their winning-streak to 19-games with a sweep over MIAA-foe Kalamazoo Sunday afternoon at the Trine Softball Field.
Thunder pitching combined on one-hitters in each of the five-inning games, won by scores of 8-0 and 9-0. Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) extended her hitting-streak to 11 with three hits, including another home run, and drove in five runs. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) moved into second on Trine's all-time leaderboards in hits and total bases. Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton), Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind./Beech Grove) and Searles combined to shut down the Hornet bats. Trine improves to 20-1 overall, 4-0 in the MIAA. Kalamazoo falls to 5-9 overall and 0-4 conference play.
Game One: Trine 8, Kalamazoo 0
The Thunder got contributions from up and down the lineup, while Fuller and Cooper combined on the one-hitter.
Fuller tossed four hitless innings, walking three and striking out five to improve to 11-1. Cooper struck out one and allowed a hit in her inning of work.
Clark, Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/ Hoover) and Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) each rapped out two hits. Clark homered and drove in three runs, while Harris knocked in a run with an RBI-double and Hall added an RBI-single. Clark now has nine homers this season.
Jamie Schnarr (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering) tripled and drove in two runs for the Thunder. Alicia Eavey (Avon, Ind./Covenant Christian) also knocked in a run.
Game Two: Trine 9, Kalamazoo 0
The Thunder struck early and often and never looked back to get the sweep.
Searles led off the game with a triple and came in to score on an RBI-single by Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw). The triple moved Searles into second on Trine's all-time hit list, passing Sallie Richardson (2006-09). Searles has 181 hits in her career. The hit also moved Searles into second on Trine's all-time list in total bases, as she moved in front of Kara Graham (2006-09. Searles has acuumulated 288 total bases in her Thunder career.
Clark and Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Canton) each drove in two runs in the game. Searles, Marshall and Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) accounted for the other Thunder RBI.
Searles allowed one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out five in four innings to get the win and improve to 3-0 on the season. Cooper struck out two in her inning of work.
Trine travels to Alma this Wednesday, Apr. 9 for a MIAA-matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.