KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- No. 12 Trine notched its best start in program history with a pair of victories Tuesday in the Rebel Spring Games.
The Thunder won a pitcher's duel over Ramapo, 2-0, in game one before holding on to win a 12-10 slugfest over Illinois Wesleyan in the nightcap. Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) homered and drove in six runs as part of a five-hit day. Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) earned the victory in the circle in both games, while Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) nailed down the save in each game. Trine improved to 10-0 on the season. The winning-streak is the longest to open a season in program history.
Game One: Trine 2, Ramapo 0
The pitching of Kampmann and Ray, as well as a two-run inning, led the Thunder to the game one victory.
Trine got its lone runs in the fourth when four consecutive walks brought a run in. Catherine Porter (Caton, Mich. / Plymouth Canton) drew the bases-loaded walk to force home the first run. Emily White (Fortville, Ind. / Mt. Vernon) later added a sac fly to make the score 2-0.
Kampmann worked 4.1 innings to get the victory. The freshman allowed two hits, walked four and struck out one.
Ray worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth. The last seven outs of the game were recorded by Ray strikeouts. The freshman struck out the side in a perfect sixth. The effort gave Ray her first career save.
Erin Fitzsimmons threw four innings of shutout relief for Ramapo.
Game Two: Trine 12, Illinois Wesleyan 10
The Thunder came out on the positive end as the two offenses traded blows all evening.
Each team traded two-run innings in the first. Both Titan runs were unearned. Trine answered as Hartline hit a two-run homer to tie things up. Hartline battled after falling behind 0-2 and launched the 12th pitch of the at-bat over the left field fence to knot the score at 2-2.
Julie Josten gave Illinois Wesleyan the lead right back at 4-2 in the top of the third. Josten's two-run single broke the tie game.
The Thunder answered right back in the bottom of the frame, batting around to score nine runs in the inning. Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) started things off with a tomahawked solo home run on a high pitch. Porter and Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) added RBI-singles to give Trine the lead at 5-4.
With the bases loaded, Hartline came through with another big hit, splitting the left-center gap with a double to clear the bases and make the score 8-4. Nicole Ferraro (North Royalton, Ohio / Holly Name) and Carly Bachna (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) added RBI singles, before Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) doubled home the final run of the inning.
The Titans fought back with four in the fourth on a Shelbt Fulk two-run single, Josten RBI-single and bases-loaded walk drawn by Katie Caulfield. Hartline answered with her career-high sixth RBI and fourth hit of the game, a double that scored Robles.
Josten once again came up with a big hit to score two and cut the score to 12-10 in the fifth. That was as close as IWU would get. Ray entered with one on in the seventh. The runner was promptly thrown out trying to steal by Porter. Ray secured the final two outs on a strikeout and pop out for her second save of the day.
Trine continues play in the Rebel Spring Games Thursday with games against Washington College and No. 7 Messiah.
