ANGOLA, Ind.-- The Trine softball team swept Olivet on Senior Day at SportONE/Parkview Softball Field.
The Thunder got contributions from all throughout the lineup to move into a tie for first place in the MIAA. Trine improved to 22-9 overall, 9-1 in conference play. The Comets fell to 15-11 overall, 2-6 in conference play.
Game One: Trine 17, Olivet 0
Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) pitched a two-hit shutout as Trine took the first game of the doubleheader 17-0 in five innings.
Robles threw 73 total pitches, notching five strikeouts and no walks. She took a perfect game into the fifth. The Thunder offense was explosive, as Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind. / Warsaw), Rachell Noble (Indianapolis, Ind. / Decatur Central) and Lainey McCue (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) had three hits. Alison Lang (Rome City, Ind. / East Noble), Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn. / Wilson Central) and Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) had two hits. McCue led the team with five RBI, four coming in the fourth inning, and three coming on her first career collegiate home run. Fox also hit a home run for Trine.
A five-run second and an 11-run fourth propelled the Thunder to the mercy rule victory, most of the runs coming with two outs. Several players contributed to the 17 runs on 16 hits, including Lang, Marshall, Fox, and Noble, who all had two RBI. Olivet committed two errors that led to 13 unearned runs.
Ashlynn Grubb (9-5) took the loss for the Comets. She went three and one third innings, giving up nine runs (four earned) on 11 hits and two walks. Robles went to 11-5 with the win.
Game one recap courtesy Grant Tingley, Trine University, New Media Communication '19
Game Two: Trine 5, Olivet 3
Marshall earned her 100th career RBI in today's closer, the tenth to achieve that in Trine's history.
Three players had multiple hits for the Thunder, including Lang, Clark, and McCue. Three players from Olivet also had multiple hits, with Ashlynn Grubb leading the Comets with three.
Trine held a steady lead throughout the game. Olivet scored their first run in the bottom of the third inning on an error. With a hard hit from Olivet's Devon Mayse, it looked like the Comets were going to give the Thunder a run for their money, but a throw from Lang in center field all the way into catcher Noble gunned out a runner at home and left two Comet runners on base.
A sacrifice fly from Taylor Smith brought in the second run for Olivet in the fifth inning, making the score 4-2 in favor of Trine. With the bases loaded, Kate Saupe (Farwell, Mich. / Farwell) of Trine ended the inning by striking out Konnor Geiger and leaving three runners on for Olivet.
Trine answered in the sixth inning with two hits, a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly, and one run scored. In the bottom of the sixth, Trine brought Robles to the mound to finish out the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ashlynn Grubb stepped up to the plate, bringing in one run. Larissa Ludwick then grounded out to second and the inning ended with a score of 5-3, with Trine holding the lead.
The bottom of the seventh inning saw catches in foul territory by Marshall and Fox, with McCue fielding a ball for the final out.
Four pitchers saw the mound for Trine, but Robles finished the game, giving earning her third save. Carrie Chamberlain took the closing loss for Olivet, giving her a record of 6-6.
Following the final home game of their careers, Trine honored seven seniors: Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind. / Beech Grove), Robles, Marshall, Alicia Eavey (Avon, Ind. / Covenant Christian), Lang, Clark, and Astrid Koose (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg).
The Thunder will travel to Albion College this Saturday, April 23, to play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.
Game two recap courtesy Emma Lucas, Trine University, Professional Writing and English Studies '19