ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University softball team split a pair of home Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contests with visiting Kalamazoo College.
The Hornets got right to work offensively putting three runs on the board in the top of the first inning and taking the 3-0 lead into the bottom of the second.
The Thunder would finally break up the shutout in the bottom of the second. Sophomore Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) led off the inning with a double down the leftfield line. A few batters later she would make it home on a single from senior Lexi Clark (Niles, Mich. / Edwardsburg) pulling the team back within two at 3-1.
Trine would score more runs in the bottom of the third. Senior Taylor Murdock (Lapel, Ind. / Lapel) would plate the first two of the inning with a homer coming after a leadoff double from junior Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo). The next two batters would end in outs, but Elliott would score a double and then make it home on a double from junior Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli).
The 4-3 lead was a short-lived one however as the top of the fourth saw Kalamazoo score a pair to take back the lead at 5-4. They would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh and then finish out the game holding the Thunder scoreless to finish with the 6-4 victory.
Trine struck back with a vengeance in the second contest of the day, aided by some changes to the lineup. The team would score three in the first inning. Senior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) came up with the first RBI of the game with a groundout. Then Elliott would plate a pair with a homer of her own.
The team would add another three in the top of the second. First freshman Emma Beyer (Rochester, Mich. / Stoney Creek) would hit a ball over the left field fence to score two then Murdock would groundout to shortstop forcing an error that allowed Ellie Trine to score.
The third inning was a slow one for the offense, they only scored one. Prather laid down a bunt with a runner on third for the squeeze play. In the fourth inning the pitching ran out for the Hornets and five runs would score for the Thunder, one on a walk and the rest on singles and fielder's choices, making the score 12-0.
In the circle, junior Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) shutdown the opposition. She pitched all five innings for the team allowing just five hits while striking out three.
The Thunder finish the day 16-11 overall and 6-2 in MIAA following the split. The team is set to return to the field when they host Olivet College on Thursday, April 21. The doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m.