GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.-- Bree Fuller no-hit Calvin in game one and Justine Robles tossed a one-hitter in game two to lead the 5th-ranked softball team to a clinch of the MIAA regular-season title, as the Thunder swept the Knights 6-0 and 8-0 Saturday afternoon at Gainey Field.
Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) was dominant once again, as just four Knights reached base in the junior's second-career no-hitter. She had previously no-hit Beloit early in the 2013 season. Fuller's no-hitter was the first by a Thunder pitcher since Andi Gasco's effort against St. Mary's Apr. 26, 2013. Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lake Wood) nearly matched Fuller in game two, with the one hit being the only baserunner the sophomore allowed. The wins clinch the MIAA regular-season title for the Thunder for the third-consecutive season. Trine also extends their MIAA winning-streak to 44 games, which ties the all-time mark set by Alma between 1997 and 2000. The Thunder have won a school-record 29-straight games overall. Trine improves to 30-1 overall and 14-0 in the MIAA. Calvin falls to 18-10 overall and 6-4 in league play.
Game One: Trine 6, Calvin 0
Trine's bats awakened in the late innings to back Fuller's dominating performance to lead the Thunder to the game one victory.
Two walks were the only blemishes on Fuller's record for the day, as she mowed down Knight hitters to the tune of 14 strikeouts. Fuller needed just 89 pitches to get through the day and improve her personal winning-streak to 16 games. The only two other baserunners to reach base did so via errors. Fuller now has 160 strikeouts on the season, which is fourth in school-history.
After being shut down through the opening four frames by Caitlin Callow, the Thunder bats awakened in the fifth to get TU on the board. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) led off with an infield single, stole second, and moved to third when Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) reached on an error.
A groundout moved Clark to second. A wild pitch scored Searles, and a throwing error on the same play brought Clark in to score to make the score 2-0.
Trine pushed across four more runs in the sixth. Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) knocked in the first with an RBI-single. An infield single by Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw) drove in another run, with a second run coming on a throwing error to make it 5-0.
An RBI-single by Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) capped the scoring.
Game Two: Trine 8, Calvin 0 (6)
Robles nearly matched Fuller's game one effort, and Trine scored in all but one inning to clinch the MIAA regular-season title.
Outside of a leadoff single in the fourth by Ashley Jakus, Robles didn't allow a baserunner. The sophomore struck out nine to improve to 8-0 on the season. Robles has developed into a strong weapon in the circle for the Thunder of late, having not allowed a run over her last 18.1 innings pitched. Today's performance dropped her ERA to a miniscule 1.01.
Trine wasted no time getting on the board as Marshall drove in Searles to make the score 1-0 after an inning of play.
The Thunder exploded for four runs in the second inning. Daniels and Marshall had RBI-singles in the inning, while Clark added a sacrifice fly. Though Clark had her 19-game hitting-streak snapped, she found ways to get on base and score three runs. The Thunder added another run when Jamie Lydick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) scored on a passed ball.
Marshall has now hit in six-straight. She is 14-for-22 with 13 RBI's during that span.
Daniels continued to produce runs, driving in a run each in the fourth and fifth innings. The senior drove in four runs on the day and extended her hitting-streak to six games. Daniels has knocked in 10 runs during that streak.
An RBI-single by Harris gave the Thunder their final run and the victory by run-rule. Harris has eight hits and six RBI's over her last four games.
All told in the doubleheader, Thunder pitchers held the Knights to a 1-for-46 performance at the plate. Calvin entered the contest batting .310 as a team and getting on base at a .378 clip.
Trine takes a break from conference play when they travel to John Carroll for a pair of games Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.