KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Trine University softball team finished off another lossless day in Florida after defeating Thiel College by the score of 12-5 and St. Joseph's College Brooklyn by the score of 8-0.
Trine started the day facing off with the Tomcats of Thiel, where they started the game strong building a 4-0 lead heading into the fifth. Four different members of the team brought in runs during the stretch and the Thunder looked poised to cruise to the victory. But Thiel was not ready to go away as they found their offense in the top of the fifth and sixth inning. In the sixth, they chased two pitchers from the circle for the Thunder and took a 5-4 lead of their own.
The Thunder responded quickly and decisively bringing eight runners across the plate in those three outs to take back the 12-5 lead. Senior Kate Saupe (Farwell, Mich. / Farwell) then finished off the game retiring the Tomcats in the seventh with three strikeouts. Saupe pitched spectacularly in relief, facing four batters and recording four strikeouts.
Offensively sophomore Kennedy Baugh (Walton, Ky. / Notre Dame Academy) paced the Thunder finishing the contest with three RBIs with a home run and a single. Freshman Taylor Murdock (Lapel, Ind. / Lapel) led the way with two extra-base hits in the contest and was one of three Thunder to finish the game scoring two runs.
In the second game of the day, the Thunder kept the offense rolling as they faced off with the Bears. Four different members of the team recorded home runs, as the team cruised to an 8-0 victory in five innings. Junior Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine), sophomore Mackenzi Cannici (Huntington, Ind. / Huntington North) and freshman Lexi Ayers (Logansport, Ind. / Logansport) each came away with a solo shot in the contest. Junior Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove_ recorded a two-run homer to finish the game with a team-high two RBIs.
Saupe started and continued her dominance from her first action of the day finishing the contest allowing just two hits while recording seven strikeouts in the contest. Following the action of the day, Saupe improves to 4-0 so far this season.
The Thunder leave the day with a 6-2 record. They will finish off their spring break slate of games tomorrow, March 8 when they take on Otterbein University at 9:45 a.m. and Misericordia University at noon.