Thunder Win-Streak Snapped in Game Two by ONU

Thunder Win-Streak Snapped in Game Two by ONU

ANGOLA, Ind. -- No. 4 Trine extended its winning streak with a game one victory, but Ohio Northern responded to snap the undefeated start and take game two Wednesday at SportONE/Parkview Softball Field.

Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) led the Thunder with a complete game, two-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory in game one. The Polar Bears responded with an eight-hit effort, built a six-run lead and withstood a five-run rally in the seventh to hold off Trine in game two. The loss snapped Trine's undefeated streak at 19 games, the team's longest unbeaten streak to open the season. The Thunder concluded the doubleheader 19-1 overall. ONU is 16-4 overall.

Game One: Trine 2, Ohio Northern 0

A solo homer and a great baserunning play produced the two Thunder runs and Ray did the rest in the circle.

Michaela Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) launched a solo homer to left-center to put Trine up 1-0 in the bottom of third. It was Hartline's second homer in three games.

The Thunder added another run when Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) took advantage of an error with some heads-up baserunning. She led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. When Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) dropped down a sac bunt, Robles continued running as the throw was muffed at first base. She came all the way around to score to put Trine up 2-0.

Ray fired her first career shutout, surrendering just two hits to improve to improve to 8-0 on the season. The freshman struck out eight.

Kaitlin Sturdej surrendered an earned run on four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out seven for ONU.

Game Two: Ohio Northern 7, Trine 6

The Polar Bears built a six-run lead and had to withstand a late Thunder rally to snap Trine's win-streak.

ONU scored three in the first, breaking through with the first run on a wild pitch. Gia Saturday drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single to put the score at 3-0. An Alicia Swierz RBI-single pushed the score to 4-0 in the second.

Trine answered in the bottom half of the second with its lone run before the seventh. Lainey McCue (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) struck with two-out, RBI double to cut the score to 4-1.

The Polar Bears added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Hailee Loughman singled home a run in the fourth. ONU added unearned runs in the fifth and sixth to push the score to 7-1.

The Thunder put two on with two out in the seventh. An error extended the game and loaded the bases. Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) singled in two runs to cut the deficit to four. Fox moved into a tie for sixth in team history with 116 career RBIs.

Carly Bachna (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) extended the game and brought the tying run to the plate with a RBI single. After Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) workd a walk, McCue followed with a two-run single up the middle to cut the score to 7-6 and give the Thunder an at-bat with the winning runs on base. The comeback was stopped there, as pitcher Kirsten Lightel induced a line out for the final out.

Lightel allowed six runs (one earned) on nine hits, with four walks and five strikeouts to earn the win. Lightel improved to 9-1 on the season. Saturday paced ONU with a hit and two RBIs. Swierz and Jenna Holler each added two hits.

Trine opens MIAA play Saturday at Calvin. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.