WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Trine University softball team remained undefeated after picking up a pair of victories in their last day in Florida.
The team began the day by facing off with Nebraska Wesleyan University with the Thunder acting as home team on the scoreboard. The top of the first saw the Prairie Wolves get a pair of hits, but junior Alexis Michon settled in and got out of the inning with two more outs. She then struck out the side in the second to keep the game scoreless.
A pair of walks led off the bottom of the second inning and then a single loaded the bases. It looked like the Thunder would waste the runners after a second out was recorded, but senior Ellie Trine came up with a triple to clear the bases and give the team a 3-0 lead. Cassie Woods followed up with a single to bring Trine home as well and build the lead to four.
Singles from freshmen Debbie Hill and Karley Trine advanced the runners and added another run to the board, giving the team a 5-0 lead for the third inning.
Another two-quiet innings for the Prairie Wolves, the Thunder returned to the batters' box for the bottom of the fourth. Woods reached base on a hit-by-pitch and Hill put runners at the corners with a single, before some fancy baserunning brought Woods home on the double steal.
Karley Trine drew the walk and junior Scarlett Elliott brought in a pair of runs with a double to give the team an 8-0 lead. Freshman Emma Lee came up with the final RBI of the inning when she brought Elliott home with a triple.
Down to their final three outs, Nebraska Wesleyan finally found some purchase on offense. After a quick out the team got a pair of runners on the base path and then scored a run on a double. Michon settled down again and recorded the final two outs to end the game in after five with a 9-1 victory.
After a bit of a break, the Thunder squared off with Otterbein College in their second game of the day. They wasted no time getting on the board, loading the bases on a pair of hit-by-pitch and a single before Elliott reached base on a fielder's choice that forced an error and scored a run.
Trine added to their lead in the third where they led off with a walk and single. A sacrifice bunt moved the pair of runners into scoring position with just one out. Lee brought in the run on a ground out to second base.
The Cardinals finally got their first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the third. Senior Anna Koeppl was perfect in the first two innings before allowing the walk in the third. Her no-hitter survived into the bottom of the fifth. She finished the game after that fifth inning allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three.
Before she left, the Thunder gave her a few more insurance runs in the top of the fifth. With one out the team had runners on first and second when Lee hit a ball over the outfield fence. The three-run shot gave the team a 5-0 lead.
Junior Lauren Clausen entered the circle in the sixth inning and faced some difficulties to start. The first two batters she faced reached base and one came home on a sacrifice fly. All told in her first inning of work she would walk three, but allowed just the one run to score. She settled in for the seventh inning securing the win with three quick outs.
Trine improves to 8-0 overall following the pair of victories. The team will have two days off as they travel to Virginia for the final few days of their spring break trip. They will compete in the Cross Bay Bash this upcoming weekend which is co-hosted by Christopher Newport University and Virginia Wesleyan University and featuring a handful of nationally-ranked team. The Thunder start their slate of games on Friday, March 10 with fifth-ranked Berry (Ga.) College at 10:30 a.m. and the seventh-ranked Marlins at 3 p.m.