ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University softball team split a pair of non-conference contests against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foes. They dropped the first game of the day 14-2 to Adrian College before bouncing back to defeat Hope College 8-5.
The Thunder struck first in their first action of the game, with junior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) bringing in a run with a single to right field in the bottom of the first inning.
The next three runs went to the Bulldog's tally on the scoreboard with one in the second and two in the third to take the 3-1 lead.
Trine responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth as freshmen Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) getting the RBI with a double to centerfield.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, the offense dried up after their second run and Adrian found their groove. The Bulldogs would go on to score six in the fifth and five in the sixth to close the game out early at 14-2.
Trine started the second game strongly as well tallying four runs in the first inning. Swartout started the scoring again with an RBI single. Sophomore Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) followed up with a double to score another run. Senior Bailey Vande Giessen (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Central) finished off the inning with another double, scoring a pair of runs.
The Flying Dutch cut into the lead in the bottom of the second with one run, before tying the game at four with three runs in the bottom of the third.
Swartout put the Thunder back ahead with a two-RBI triple in the top of the fifth. Prather followed up with a sacrifice fly that brought Swartout in to give the team a 7-4 lead.
Prather added an insurance run for the team in the top of the seventh with her second home run of the season.
Hope tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh but only plated a single run and the game would go final at 8-5 in favor of Trine.
Freshman Elizabeth Koch (Franklin, Wis. / Franklin) picked up her first win in the circle in the game.
The team finishes the day 8-4 after the split. They will take the field again tomorrow, Saturday, March 27 for a pair of games. The first comes against their hosts from Olivet College at 12 p.m.