By Sports Information Student Assistant Haleigh Daniels
HOLLAND, Mich. - The No.4 Trine University Softball team continued their hot streak shutting out Hope College with a 7-0 win in the first game and adding to the win column with a 6-0 victory in game two. The sweep of the previously undefeated in the conference Hope, moves the Thunder to 27-3 on the season and 10-0 in the MIAA.
In game one, the Thunder remained scoreless through the first three innings with only two Trine players reaching base by a walk and an error by the Flying Dutch.
Senior pitcher Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) allowed no hits through the first three innings and struck out the side in both the second and third.
Gasco would help get the offense started the fourth inning with a base hit to left and then advanced to second on a walk by fellow senior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover). Junior Jillian Craig (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) would then come in to pinch run for Harris. With two outs in the inning, senior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) battled to earn a walk to load the bases for sophomore Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover). On the third pitch of her at bat, Harris would knock her first of three home runs of the day and her second grand slam of the year to put the Thunder ahead 4-0.
After Hope retired the side in the top of the fifth inning, Gasco came up clutch to start the sixth inning off with a solo shot to left field.
Rachel Harris launched her second home run of the game to start things off in the top of the seventh inning on a shot to right center. Junior Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) followed up with a single to right field. Daniels would be retired on the fielder’s choice by sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey). After stealing second, Searles would score on a base hit by fellow sophomore Amy Newell (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers) to put the Thunder up by the final score of 7-0.
The Flying Dutch would get their only hit in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs on a pinch hit single to right field, but the batter would be thrown out trying to advance to second by sophomore Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central).
Gasco finished the game throwing a one-hit shutout, allowing three walks and striking out 11 Hope batters.
With the win in game one, coach Don Danklefsen earned his 250th career victory as head coach of the Trine University Softball program.
In the nightcap, sophomore Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) retired Hope in order in the top of the first as she struck out the first three Flying Dutch batters she faced. The Thunder came right back to score a run in the bottom of the first. Searles started things off with a single to right field and then stole second. After freshman Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) moved Searles to third base with a ground out to the pitcher, Newell would again drive in Searles, this time with a single to left.
In the bottom of the third, the Thunder added two runs after Newell doubled to left field and then advanced to third on the throwing error by the left fielder. Gasco collected her second home run of the day on a shot to left field, putting the Thunder up 3-0.
Fuller would collect another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Belote would reached on an error by the Hope third baseman and scored two batters later when Searles doubled to left.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Thunder scored two more runs on back-to-back homers by Belote and Rachel Harris. Trine would then load the bases as Searles reached on a base hit followed by walks to Clark and Newell. The Flying Dutch would retire the next two Trine batters as the Thunder left the bases loaded.
Fuller would get another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh as she struck out two more Hope batters to finish with 10 strikeouts on the afternoon. Fuller allowed just three hits over seven innings while not allowing a walk.
Rachel Harris, Gasco, Searles and Newell all collected three hits on the afternoon. Rachel Harris also led the Thunder with six RBIs on the day while Gasco drove in three and Newell added a pair of RBIs. Rachel Harris, Gasco and Belote all added three runs scored for the Thunder. Searles would also score twice while Daniels added a pair of hits.
After the six home runs hit in the sweep, Trine set a new MIAA record for home runs in a season with 23. The previous record of 20 was shared by Trine from a season ago and Alma during the 2008 season.
The squad will take a day off before returning to the field on April 18 when they host Albion for a pair of conference games beginning at 3:30 p.m.
