KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- No. 12 Trine opened its performance in the Rebel Spring Games with victories over No. 19 Cortland and Wheaton (Mass.) Sunday at Osceola County Softball Complex.
The Thunder opened the day with a 7-1 victory over Cortland before capping off the day with an 8-2 victory over Wheaton. A trio of freshmen shined in the victories. Carly Bachna (Elyria, Ohio / Elyria) homered twice and knocked in five with a four-hit day, while Makenna Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) added a homer and knocked in a pair of runs. Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Baden) tossed a complete game with a career-high effort in strikeouts to earn the victory in game one. Trine remained unbeaten at 6-0.
Game One: No. 12 Trine 7, No. 19 Cortland 1
A five-run first and the pitching of Ray gave the Thunder the game one victory.
A two-out rally in the first produced the bulk of the scoring. Nicole Ferraro (North Royalton, Ohio / Holly Name) and Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) coaxed back-to-back walks before Bachna delivered with a three-run homer to put Trine on the board. An error and a single by Lainey McCue (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) extended the inning. A single to right-center by Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth Canton) plated both runs, with McCue scoring all the way from first on the play.
That was more than enough for Ray to work with. The freshman went the distance, allowing just an earned run on four hits. She walked three and struck out a season-high eight to improve to 3-0 with a 111-pitch effort.
Trine later added a run in the fifth on a RBI-double by Emily White (Fortville, Ind. / Mt. Vernon). The Thunder tacked on another run in the sixth when Fox scored Ferraro with a RBI-groundout.
Cortland scored its run in the sixth on a RBI-single by Mikayla Shade, who had two hits in the game.
Ferraro had three hits, including a double, and reached base in all four of her plate appearances. Bachna added two hits.
Game Two: Trine 8, Wheaton (Mass.) 2
Extra-base power and another solid effort in the circle kept the Thunder unbeaten.
Trine broke through first in the top of the second, loading the bases on a pair of walks and a Bachna single. Michaela Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) then lined a single to left to plate two runs and put Trine up 2-0.
The power started to show up in the third as Makenna Hartline lined a homer to dead center to make the score 3-0. Ferraro's first career triple kept the line moving, before Fox punched a single through the left side to score another run. Bachna then showed off her power once again, taking a pitch out to right-center for the opposite field homer and a 6-0 Thunder lead. Bachna has three homers and in her first six collegiate games.
Wheaton scored its first run in the third on a RBI-single by Morgan Welsh. The Lyons added a run in the sixth on a RBI-single by Ali Petrelli.
Trine added a run in the fourth on a Makenna Hartline RBI-single. A pinch-hit RBI-single by Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) in the fifth provided the final run.
Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) worked six strong innings to improve to 3-0. The freshman allowed an earned run on seven hits, walked three and struck out three. Kampmann did not allow a run over the first 12.1 innings of her collegiate career.
Makenna Hartline had three hits, while Bachna and Machaela Hartline each notched two hits in game two. With an RBI in each game, Fox is now one shy of becoming the 11th player in program history with 100 in her career.
Trine continues play in the Rebel Spring Games tomorrow. The Thunder will face McDaniel and 9 a.m., followed by William Paterson at 11:15 a.m.
