KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Trine University softball team swept their opening Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader with a pair of wins against Kalamazoo College. The first came by run-rule after six innings by the score of 8-0 and the second came by the score of 4-0.
The Thunder scored their first runs of the day quickly with junior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) coming up with a home run in her first at-bat. The fourth homer of the season gave the team a 2-0 lead. The team made their lead 3-0 in the second inning when junior Lexi Clark (Niles, Mich. / Edwardsburg) brought in another run with a double.
The top of the third saw Trine plate three runs their largest gain of a single inning. The first run came in off of a single from sophomore Amanda Prather (), while the other two came off of a double from freshman Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica).
The Thunder bats were silent in the fourth and the fifth innings but senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) came up with a clutch double in the sixth inning to bring in two more runs and make the score 8-0.
That score would become final after senior Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) finished off a shutout game with a sixth-inning of work. She finished the contest allowing just two hits with three strikeouts.
Another lockdown performance in the circle highlighted the second contest as sophomore Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) finished all seven innings allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out two and keeping the Hornets off the board.
At the plate, the Thunder had a strong but more sedate performance. Their first run came from an Elliott double in the second inning. The rest came off a pair of hits from Daugherty, the first coming in the third inning in the form of a two-run homer while the second came in the fifth inning in the form of an RBI double. The four runs were more than enough and the team took the second game.
Trine improves to 12-4 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play following the wins. They will return home for their next games on Saturday, April 3 when they host Albion College beginning at noon.
