ANGOLA, Ind.-- Trine swept a doubleheader from John Carroll in the first games ever played in SportONE/Parkview Softball Field Sunday afternoon.
The eighth-ranked Thunder took advantage of some early runs to earn the game one victory by a 3-1 final, before pulling away in the late innings of game two to earn an 8-0 victory in six innings. Trine has now won 11-straight games. Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) was locked in at the plate all day, finishing 7-for-8 with a home run, triple, RBI, five runs scored and three steals. Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lakewood) and Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) each tossed complete games in the circle. Trine improves to 16-1 overall. John Carroll falls to 9-5.
Game One: Trine 3, John Carroll 1
Fuller threw a complete game gem and Searles was in the middle of every Thunder rally as Trine got the game one victory.
A Searles single got the Thunder in business early. After a stolen base, an infield single and steal by Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wison Central) put two in scoring position. Amy Newell (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers) drove a deep drive that crashed off the fence in center to score one, though the second runner was cut down at the plate.
A sac fly off the bat of Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio/Edison) later in the inning scored Newell.
Searles and Fox came up with big hits again in the third. The All-American led off with a single and advanced to second with a steal. After a pair of outs, Fox came through with the clutch hit to right-center to make the score 3-0. Fox drove in two runs in the game.
John Carroll got a two-out run in the fifth as eight-hole hitter Mikki Vance singled home a run. A crisp 4-6-3 double play turned by Newell, Jamie Schnarr (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering) and Fox earlier in the inning erased a runner and helped keep JCU from scoring more.
The Thunder got another big defensive play in the sixth, as Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) made a sliding catch in right with two outs to save a run.
Fuller retired the first 11 batters of the afternoon in order. The senior improved to 7-0 with the complete game victory. Fuller surrendered an earned run on five hits, did not walk a batter and fanned nine.
Game Two: Trine 8, John Carroll 0
Robles controlled the game in the circle and the Thunder bats did the rest to give TU the sweep.
Searles scored on a passed ball in the first, and Schnarr added an RBI-single to score Newell to make the score 2-0.
The game would stay that way until Trine broke things open with a three-run fifth. An RBI-single by Clark, a sac fly off the bat of Newell and an RBI-double by Fox accounted for the scoring in the inning before the Blue Streaks could record an out.
The Thunder showcased their power in sixth to close out the victory by run-rule. Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) hit the first home run in the new stadium, sneaking a line shot just inside the left field foul pole. The homer was the 25th of the senior's career. The two-run shot made the score 7-0.
Searles sent the Thunder home victorious, crushing a homer to right-center for the final 8-0 margin. A triple by Searles earlier in the game gave the senior 46 triples in her career- five shy of the all-time NCAA mark for all divisions.
Robles scattered three hits, walked one and struck out six to earn her 25th-career victory. The junior has four shutouts this season.
Trine will host Ohio Northern for a non-conference doubleheader this Tuesday, Mar. 24. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at SportONE/Parkview Softball Field.