ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University softball team scored all of their runs off of the long ball as they came up with a sweep of visiting Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponent Calvin University. Both games finished with a score of 5-2.
The Thunder struck first in the first contest. Sophomore Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) came up with the first homer of the day, a solo shot over the leftfield fence to give the team a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
In the next inning, junior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) came to the plate with bases loaded. After watching a first-pitch strike, she would crush the second pitch into centerfield, earning a line-drive grand slam home run and building the Trine lead to 5-0.
Sophomore Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) started the contest and pitched five strong innings, allowing just two runs in her final inning of work. She finished with three strikeouts and the win.
Freshman Adrienne Rosey (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft) would show up Koeppl however, as she pitched the final two innings in relief. She earned her fourth save of the season with six straight strikeouts, securing the 5-2 win for the team.
The second game saw the Knights score first. In the bottom of the third inning, they took a 1-0 lead on the back of a sacrifice fly.
In the fifth inning, sophomore Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) responded for the Thunder. The first homer of her career gave the team a 2-1 lead with one swing of the bat.
The bottom half of the inning saw Calvin tie the game on an RBI single.
The game seemed poised to head to extra innings as it remained tied heading into the seventh inning, but Prather had something to say about that idea. She would bookend the day with a second homer, this time scoring three runs to take the 5-2 lead.
Rosey, who entered the game in relief again this time in the fifth inning, finished off the bottom half of the inning to earn the win, her fourth of the season. Freshman Lauren Clausen (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove) started the contest and pitched four strong innings before leaving the contest.
The Thunder improve to 19-5 overall and 8-0 in MIAA play. They will take the diamond again on Friday, April 16 when they host both Kalamazoo College and Calvin for a pair of contests. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.