ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University softball team found exploded offensively to score a total of 21 runs over the course of a pair of games against visiting Hiram College on the way to winning both in run-rule fashion.
The first game saw the team score at a steady pace tallying at least one run in each inning before walking off the game in the bottom of the fifth.
In the first senior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) brought in the team's lone run on a sacrifice fly. In the second junior Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) was called out on the infield fly rule but an error allowed the runners to advance to score a run and then another would come home on a Taylor Murdock (Lapel, Ind. / Lapel) single.
Freshman April Sellers (North Salem, Ind. / Tri-West) tallied the RBI in the third with single to centerfield. Swartout would score another in the fourth on another sacrifice fly.
The team would load the bases in the fifth inning and Trine made the most of the opportunity plating a pair on a double and leaving two in scoring position. after a pitching change and one out, senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervliet, Mich. / Watervliet) ended the game on deep double to the fence bringing home the eighth run.
The shortened contest was made possible by a fantastic game from sophomore Adrienne Rosey (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft) in the circle. She pitched all five innings for Trine allowing just two hits while striking out eight. She recorded the first five outs of the game by strikeout
The second game saw the Terriers score first, plating their first run of the day in the top of the first inning. The run came the old-fashioned way, with a leadoff hit moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly.
It took the Thunder until the bottom of the second to respond. Junior Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) reached base on a walk with one out on the board and would steal her way to third. Sophomore Giselle Riley (Temecula, Calif. / Temecula Valley) then walked putting runners at the corners. The team would send Riley on a steal attempt, and the Hiram catcher made a mistake throwing the ball over the third baseman's head letting Prather sprint home.
A couple batters later freshman Ainsley Phillips (Yorktown, Ind. / Yorktown) would take her first at-bat of the game and bring home Riley from third with a single.
The bottom of the third saw the team rally with two outs. After the leadoff batter reached, the next two members of the team were sent back to the dugout without reaching base. Sophomore Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) then brought home a run with a double.
From there the team worked the bases loaded. Sellers would single bringing in one run and then Phillips would clear the bases with a hard-hit double scoring three runs and giving the team a 7-1 lead.
Hiram recorded a homer in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit back to five at 7-2.
The bottom of the fourth saw Trine put the game out of reach with six more runs. Prather would record the first RBI of the inning followed by a second run coming in on a wild pitch. Then Phillips came to the plate with bases loaded again with the same result; a bases clearing double. Phillips herself would finish the scoring with good baserunning and another error by the catcher.
Phillips ended the game with seven RBIs, moving into third in the team's NCAA Division III history in a single game tally.
Sophomore Lauren Clausen (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove) picked up the win in the circle for the team pitching four innings allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while recording two strikeouts. Sophomore Elizabeth Koch (Franklin, Wis. / Franklin) finished off the final inning with a strikeout of her own.
The Thunder improve to 10-9 following the day of competition. The team is set to start Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play in their next games coming on Tuesday, April 5. They will host Kalamazoo College for a twin bill starting at 3 p.m.