ANGOLA, IND.-- The 5th-ranked Trine softball team swept second-place Hope Wednesday afternoon to remain unbeaten in MIAA-play.
Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) tied a school-record with 16 strikeouts in the 7-1 game one victory, while the Thunder pounded out 18 hits to earn the victory in game two. The wins extend Trine's school-record winning-streak to 25 games, and their conference win-streak to 40 games. Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw) had a huge day at the plate for TU, collecting six hits and driving in six runs. Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) extended her hitting-streak to 12 games with a four-hit, three-RBI day. Trine improves to to 26-1 overall and 10-0 in the MIAA. Hope falls to 13-12 overall, 7-3 in league play.
Game One: Trine 7, Hope 1
Fuller dominated the Flying Dutchmen to tie the school-record in strikeouts, while the bats provided more than enough offense to get the win.
There was no doubt that Fuller had was on her game early, as the junior struck out the side in the first inning and went on to fan five of the first six batters. She struck out the side twice in the game. Fourteen of the 16 batters retired by strikeout went down swinging. Fuller allowed three hits and an unearned run to improve to 14-1 on the season. The 16 strikeouts tied a 2007 Elise English performance against Olivet for the most in a game in school-history.
Marshall got the Thunder on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-run double to right field.
Trine tacked on three more in the bottom of the fourth. Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) knocked in a run with her 33rd-career double to make the score 3-0. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) added an RBI-single and later scored on an RBI-double by Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central).
Searles' RBI moved her into fifth on Trine's all-time list with 103 career RBI's. Clark extended her hitting-streak to 17 games with hits in each end of the doubleheader. Clark is batting .517 over that span.
The Thunder added a pair of runs in the fifth. Hope got their run in the top of the fifth when Adalee Robinson came in to score on a throwing error.
Marshall, Clark and Daniels each had two hits in the game for Trine. After starting both games, Daniels moved into fifth in school-history with 154 career games started.
Game Two: Trine 14, Hope 1
The Thunder got big contributions from up and down the entire lineup in the victory as six Trine players recorded multi-hit games.
Marshall came up huge in game two with a 4-for-4 performace. She drove in a career-high four runs. Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Canton) also had a perfect game at the plate, finishing with three hits and two RBI's.
Hall had RBI-hits in each of her first three plate appearances, which included a double and two singles. The junior finished 3-for-4. Hall is batting .390 over her 12-game hitting-streak.
Searles, Clark and Daniels each finished with two hits in the game as well for the Thunder.
Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lake Wood) continued her string of solid efforts in the circle with four shutout innings of one-hit ball. The sophomore has allowed one earned run or less in each of her last four starts. Robles improved to 7-0 with the win.
Trine returns to action tomorrow when they travel to Albion. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.