KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Trine softball team swept McDaniel and William Paterson Monday at Osceola County Softball Complex to tie the team's best start in program history.
The Thunder opened the day with a dominating 13-1, run-rule shortened victory in five innings over McDaniel. Trine followed that up with an 8-2 victory over William Paterson to improve to 8-0. The Thunder belted five home runs on the day, including a pair of homers for Carly Bachna (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria). Bachna has homered in all four of the Rebel Spring Games matchups and extended her hitting streak to eight games. Trine has tied its longest undefeated start to a season in program history.
Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) became the 11th player in team history to reach 100 career RBIs. The junior moved into ninth on Trine's all-time list with 103 career RBIs.
Game One: Trine 13, McDaniel 1
The Thunder crushed four home runs and notched 12 hits overall in the rout.
After the first two batters reached to start the game, Nicole Ferraro (North Royalton, Ohio / Holly Name) gave Trine a 3-0 lead before the Green Terror could record an out. Ferraro's three-run homer was the first of her collegiate career. She is 8-13 at the plate in the Rebel Spring Games.
Each team scored a run in the second before the floodgates opened on another Thunder rally. Bachna started things off with a solo homer to right-center. Trine proceeded to load the bases with one out. Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice and Trine tacked on another run on an error. Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) broke things open further with a two-run double, before Fox drove in the 100th run of her career to make the score 10-1.
Hartline and Fox later added to the fireworks with home runs in the seventh. Hartline's two-run shot capped off a four-RBI performance. Fox's home run was a solo shot and the 31st of her career.
Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) picked up the victory with four innings of shutout relief work. The freshman allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one. Kampmann has allowed just one earned run over the first 19.2 innings of her collegiate career (0.36 ERA). She improved to 4-0.
Hartline, Fox, Bachna, Lainey McCue (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) and Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) each collected multi-hit games for the Thunder.
Game Two: Trine 8, William Paterson 2
A complete-game effort from Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Baden) and two big innings powered the victory.
An RBI-single in the bottom of the first by Ferraro was answered by a Kara Molnar RBI-triple in the top of the second to even the score 1-1 through two.
The Thunder broke things open with a four-run third. Ferraro scored on an error to give Trine a 2-1 lead. Fox then tucked a single inside the left field line to drive home another run. A Bachna sacrifice fly gave the Thunder a three-run lead. Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth Canton) capped things off with a two-out RBI-single to center.
William Paterson put two on with one out against Ray in the sixth. A RBI-groundout by Kaitlyn Poretti cut the score to 5-2, but Ray escaped further damage with a strikeout to end the frame.
Trine put things away with three in the sixth. A RBI-double by Ferraro was followed by a sac fly by Fox. Bachna capped the scoring with her second opposite field homer of the day, a line shot to right to make the final 8-2.
Ray worked the complete game in the circle, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. She did not walk a batter and struck out seven. Ray threw 83 of her 106 pitches for strikes. The freshman improved to 4-0 on the season.
The Thunder return to action tomorrow with games against Ramapo (3:45 p.m.) and Illinois Wesleyan (6 p.m.)
