CLEVELAND, Ohio-- The Trine softball team split a doubleheader against Case Western Reserve in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at Mather Park.
The Thunder dropped game one, 4-1 but responded in a big way to rally back in game two. Trine scored 10 runs in the first inning and pounded out 17 hits in a 16-0 victory in game two. Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn. / Wilson Central), Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind. / Warsaw) and Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth Canton) each homered in the game two victory. Trine is now 20-9 overall. Case Western Reserve is 17-19 on the season.
Game One: Case Western Reserve 4, Trine 1
Four runs in the first three innings by the Spartans put the Thunder in a hole early and pitcher Annie Wennerberg tossed a complete game to get the win.
Grace Tritchler doubled home a pair of runs in the first inning to get CWR on the board. Case would add a run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Katie Wede. The Spartans tacked on another run in the third on Kristen Klemmer's RBI-double.
Wennerberg held Trine to an unearned run on six hits in her complete game victory. She walked two and struck out one to improve to 11-10 on the season.
The Thunder got its lone run in the sixth when Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) scored on an error. Robles was the lone Trine player to notch two hits in game one.
Game Two: Trine 16, Case Western Reserve 0
A huge first inning and the pitching of Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind. / Beech Grove) led the Thunder in its rally back to earn the split.
Trine sent 14 batters to the plate and hit three home runs in scoring a whopping 10 runs in the opening inning. Clark started the scoring with a solo homer, the 34th of her career. Clark is second in team history in home runs. Clark later added a two-run double as part of a three-hit game two.
Porter added a three-run homer later in the inning. The junior had a big day at the plate after earning two starts as the designated player. Porter's day included two hits, two runs scored and two walks.
Marshall capped the scoring in the inning with Trine's second three-run bomb of the inning. The senior now has 10 career home runs. Marshall notched three hits and knocked in four runs in game two. She needs three RBIs to become the 10th player in team history to drive in 100 runs in her career.
Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison), Rachell Noble (Indianapolis, Ind. / Decatur Central), Emily White (Fortville, Ind. / Mount Vernon) and Alison Lang (Rome City, Ind. / East Noble) each added two hits and one RBI in game two.
Cooper tossed her second career shutout with five innings of work. The senior surrendered just three hits, walked two and struck out one. Cooper has thrown shutouts in two of her last three starting assignments. She improved her record to 3-0 on the season.
Trine returns to MIAA play Tuesday, Apr. 19 against Olivet. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The Thunder will honor its senior class following the doubleheader.