KISSIMMEE, Fla. - It was a day of ups and downs for the Trine University softball team as they split their games with Simpson (IA) and Bridgewater (VA) at the Rebel Spring Games. The Thunder are now 6-2 on the season.
In game one against Simpson, for the first time this season the Thunder never held the lead. Simpson would jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after getting two doubles. The Strom would add four in the third and three in the fifth to extend their lead.
The Thunder tallied a run in fourth after junior Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) led off the inning with a single. Gasco would later score on an RBI single by fellow junior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover). Trine would add a run in the top of the seventh with two outs but were unable to mount the comeback.
In the circle, freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) started for the Thunder going three innings, striking out three and walking one while allowing five earned runs on six hits. Freshman Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) came on in relief, hurling two innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits while striking out three batters and walking one. Junior Ashton Morgan (Berne, Ind./South Adams) came on to pitch the final inning allowing one hit and a walk.
Harris and sophomore Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) led the Thunder at the plate going 2-for-3.
Trine scored early in their second game as they would send Bridgewater home with their first loss of the season, snapping an eight game winning streak.
The Thunder put up two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Senior Kelly Tresick (Clinton Township, Mich./L'Anse Creuse) and Searles started off the inning with back-to-back singles. Tresick would score after a collision at first base when freshman Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) laid down a sacrifice bunt. Searles would score when sister Gasco hit a sacrifice fly to the second baseman.
The Eagles would score a run in the fourth after two, one out walks and a Thunder error.
Eagles would get a leadoff walk in the sixth, and after a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second, a single tied the game.
Trine had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the seventh as the Thunder got back-to-back walks from Harris and Daniels with one out. From there, the Thunder were unable to deliver the game- winner, sending it to extras.
Gasco would send the Eagles down in order in the top of the eighth, giving Trine the chance to win the game.
In the bottom of the inning, Searles legged out an infield single to give Trine runners on second and third. Hall would lay down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up 60 feet. It would be Gasco again delivering for the Thunder, this time it was a sacrifice fly to centerfield that would score Tresick from third easily to give the Thunder the victory.
On the mound, Gasco finished the morning allowing just one earned run on two hits while striking out four batters and walking five. Gasco didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning with two outs.
Searles led the way for the Thunder at the dish going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Despite not having a hit in the game, Gasco had both of Trine’s RBI’s. Daniels and Tresick had the Thunder’s other two hits in the game. Tresick also scored two of Trine’s runs.
Trine will finish up their spring break trip as they player 17th ranked Rowan at 9:00 a.m. followed by Wheaton (MA) at 11:00 a.m.