KALAMAZOO, Mich.-- The eighth-ranked Trine softball team swept an MIAA-doubleheader from Kalamazoo Saturday afternoon at Kalamazoo College.
The Thunder blew open game one in the fifth and six innings to earn a 13-2 victory, before holding on for a 5-4 victory in game two. Freshman Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio/Edison) homered twice in game one for her second consecutive two-homer game. Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) extended her hitting-streak to 10 games with a five-hit day, which included a home run and two doubles. Abby Anderson homered twice and drove in three runs for the Hornets. Trine improved to 21-2 overall, 5-1 in the MIAA. Kalamazoo is now 5-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Game One: Trine 13, Kalamazoo 2 (6)
The two teams played to a stalemate through the first four innings, before the Thunder blew things open with 11 runs over the final two frames to earn the victory.
Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) and Amy Newell (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers) each picked up RBI-singles to account for the Trine runs in the first four innings. With a two-RBI game, Hall moved into fifth on Trine's all-time list with 117-career RBIs.
Anderson and Paige Maguire each hit solo home runs for Kalamazoo to help the Hornets keep pace through the first four innings.
A four-run fifth broke things open, as the first four batters reached and scored in the inning. Clark followed a Searles walk with a two-run homer to give the Thunder the lead for good. After a Newell double, Fox launched her first homer of the game to make the score 6-2.
The floodgates opened in the sixth as Trine scored seven more times. Hall, Searles and Clark all knocked in runs before Fox cleared the bases with a three-run homer. The freshman now leads the team in home runs and has hit four in the last four games. Fox knocked in five runs in game one.
Clark moved into a tie for fifth in Trine history in home runs with 25. She is tied with teammate Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover). Clark is also now tied for fourth in school-history with 128 career RBIs.
Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lakewood) earned the complete game victory. The junior allowed two earned runs on five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out nine.
Game Two: Trine 5, Kalamazoo 4
The Thunder scored all of their runs in the first three innings and held on to earn the victory.
Anderson got the Hornets on the board in the top half of the first with an RBI-single. Trine had the answer in their half of the frame when Newell lofted a sacrifice fly to score Searles.
An RBI-double off the bat of Rachell Noble (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) gave the Thunder the lead in the second, before a three-run third gave Trine some breathing room. Jamie Schnarr (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering) plated a pair of runs with a double, while Harris picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice.
The Hornets cut the deficit to one with a three-run fourth. Anderson hit a solo homer and two runs came in to score on an error.
Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif./Lakewood) came out of the bullpen to work four innings for her first-career victory. The freshman allowed just two hits, walked one batter and struck out five.
Trine host Calvin this Tuesday, Apr. 7 at 3:30 p.m. The Thunder will dedicate SportONE/Parkview Softball Field as part of the school's NCAA Division III Week celebration prior to the game. The dedication is set for 2 p.m.
For more information on the dedication of SportONE/Parkview Softball Field, CLICK HERE.