COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Trine University softball team dropped both of their games today against a pair of highly ranked teams from Texas. The team began the day matching off with fourth ranked East Texas Baptist University before following up with third ranked Texas Lutheran University.
The Tigers scored the first runs of the day in the bottom of the third and fourth inning, breaking up an early shutout bid by sophomore Elizabeth Koch (Franklin, Wis. / Franklin) who received the start for the Thunder.
The 2-0 lead would stand through until the top of the seventh. After senior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) opened the frame reaching base on a hit by pitch, sophomore Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) brought her all the way home with a triple cutting the lead to 2-1.
The next two batters would record outs, putting the team down to its final chance to at least force extra innings. Freshman Angelena Perry (Clarkston, Mich. / Clarkston) would come up big with her second hit of the season and first RBI, tying the contest at two.
Neither team would bring in their free runner, placed at second as part of the international tiebreaker procedure, during the eighth inning. The Thunder ended the inning with a superb defensive play picking off the runner at third on throws from the catcher and second basewoman.
Trine failed to score again in the ninth, but this time a pair of singles brought in a run for ETBU and ended the game with a 3-2 score.
In the second game of the day the two teams would trade runs in the two halves of the first inning. After the Bulldogs scored in the top of the inning, Senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervliet, Watervliet, Mich.) notched her first double of the season bringing home the runner at second to tie the game at two.
The next two innings belonged to Texas Lutheran as the scored a pair of runs in each inning while holding the Thunder off the board, building the lead to 5-1.
The bottom of the third saw junior Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) come up with the team's first home run of the season, a solo shot that made the score 5-2.
The Bulldogs added their last run in the fourth inning with a RBI double. The rest of the game would be scoreless, with Koch finishing the game for Trine in the circle with three scoreless innings.
The Thunder fall to 0-4 following the loss. They will return to the diamond for the final day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic tomorrow, Sunday, March 5. They start the day facing off with sixth ranked Eastern Connecticut State University before finishing the day against Randolph-Macon College.