ALBION, MICH. -- The Trine University softball team picked up a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) sweep by defeating Albion College twice with the run-rule.
In game one the Thunder started the scoring early picking up four runs in the second and three runs in the third to take a commanding 7-0 lead. In the second, three different Trine batters came away with RBIs and the final run came on a stolen base that resulted in an error. In the third, sophomore Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) picked up two RBIs with her third home run of the season, while senior Erica Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood) drove in another run.
Trine scored their final runs in the top of the six when they plated four runs to take an 11-0 lead. Sophmore Michaela Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) came away with her sixth home run of the season to plate two of the runs. Ryan and Michaela Hartline led the way for the Thunder each finishing the game with three RBIs.
Sophomore Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) allowed one run in the bottom half of the inning to give Trine the win by the run-rule score of 11-1. Kampmann pitched the entire game to earn her 10th win of the season, she allowed just the lone run while picking up eight strikeouts.
The Thunder once again wasted no time lighting up their side of the scoreboard, plating seven runs in their first at-bat to take a 7-1 lead into the second inning. Senior Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) was responsible for three of those runs, adding to her team-high home run total. The other four runs came when freshman Bailey Vande Giessen (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Central) recorded the first home run of her career in stunning grand slam fashion.
Trine added a run by past-ball in the second and then Fox and freshman Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) combined for two runs in the third to give the team 10 runs. The Britons scored runs of their own in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings so the Thunder lead was 10-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Robles led off the inning by singling to the to the second baseman and then stealing second. Sophomore Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) finished the game in walk-off fashion, scoring two runs with her eighth home run of the season. Trine took the game by the score of 12-4.
Fox and Vande Giessen both finished the game with four RBIs to lead the way for the Thunder. Junior Kate Saupe (Farwell, Mich. / Farwell) picked up the win in the circle for the Thunder, improving to 9-1 on the season.
The Thunder improve to 24-4 overall and 7-1 in the MIAA following the pair of wins. Trine will continue their season when they travel to face Saint Mary's College on Friday, April 13 for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.