ANGOLA, IND. -- The Trine University softball team came away with a sweep of visiting Olivet College in their home conference opener.
Senior Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) led the way for the Thunder finishing the two games a perfect four-for-four, with all four hits leaving the park. Following the doubleheader, Fox sits with 192 career RBIs and becomes the new leader for Trine. Previously the record was held by Kaitlyn Clark who finished her career in 2016 with 187.
Trine got started quickly offensively in the first, with senior Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) drawing the leadoff walk and working her way to third with a stolen base and a passed ball. Olivet retired the next two batters and Fox came to the plate with two outs on the board. She came away with the first of her home runs driving the ball to deep left-center, touching the scoreboard on its way out of the park.
The Thunder added a run in each of their next at-bats and allowed just one from Olivet to take a 4-1 lead into the fourth inning. In the top half of that inning, the Comets came away with a homer of their own to pull within two with the score 4-2. In the bottom half, after a quick first out, freshman Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) reached on a sharp single up the middle. This brough Fox up to bat, once again with a runner on, she wasted no time in picking up her second homer of the day to give the Thunder the 6-2 lead.
The score would remain the same until Trine came to the plate in the fifth. They would work their way through the order scoring three runs to bring themselves one run from the run-rule victory at 9-2. For the final time in the game, Fox came to the plate, this time with runners at the corners. She worked the count full, before lining a home run over the leftfield fence to win the game in walk-off fashion.
Fox ended the first game with seven RBIs going a perfect three-for-three and drawing one walk. Robles finished second on the team with two RBIs.
On the mound, junior Kate Saupe (Farwell, Mich. / Farwell) pitched all five innings allowing just two runs on five hits while recording six strikeouts. The win was her seventh of the season.
Olivet came out strong in the second game putting down the first three Trine batters they faced in the game and then coming away with a leadoff homer to take the early 1-0 lead. But in the top of the second, Fox led off for the Thunder and came away with her fourth homer of the day. The Comets were done giving her a chance to swing after the hit and would choose to walk Fox for the rest of the game, including her appearance in the sixth inning with the bases loaded. The three intentional walks in a single game is a record for a Trine batter.
The Thunder finished the game with eight runs, after scoring runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Fox once again lead the team with two RBIs in the game, this time with Junior Lainey McCue (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) joining her at the mark.
Sophomore Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) got the start for the Thunder at the stripe. Following the leadoff homer, Kampmann settled down and pitched three scoreless innings allowing just two more hits. She would record the win in the game, her eighth of the season. Sophomore Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) picked up a save, finishing with three innings of relief and striking out six of twelve batters faced.
Following the sweep Trine improves to 20-4 overall and 3-1 in the conference. Trine will take the field again on Tuesday, April 3 when they host Kalamazoo College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.