ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University softball team defeated visiting Adrian College in a pair of rain-soaked Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contests. The Thunder took the first contest 11-0 in five innings before taking the second contest 6-0 in a rain-shortened five innings.
Trine started the scoring early, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Junior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) brought both runs in with a double.
The team would add to their lead in the second inning. Junior Taylor Murdock (Lapel, Ind. / Lapel) made the lead 3-0 with her second homer of the season. Senior Bailey Vande Giessen (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Central) brought in the next run with a double and was then brought home by Swartout this time on a single. The final run came with a bases-loaded hit by pitch for senior Victoria Porter (Canton, Mich. / Canton).
The 6-0 lead would last into the fourth inning when the Thunder would score their final runs of the game. Freshman Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) brought in the first run of the inning with a single down the leftfield line. The other four all came when Murdock recorded the first grand slam homer of her career and her third homer of the season.
Sophomore Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) completed the shutout in the circle to give the team the victory. In her tenth win of the season, Koeppl allowed just three hits while recording seven strikeouts, including two in the final inning of the game.
The rain grew heavier in the second contest, but the Thunder offense was undeterred. Senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) started the scoring in the first inning again with an RBI double.
Vande Giessen would bring in the next run in the top of the second with a bases-loaded walk before Daugherty cleared the bases with another double to give the team a 5-0 lead. Vande Giessen would then bring in the final run of the contest in the top of the fourth with a single of her own.
Freshman Lauren Clausen (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove) recorded the win in the contest after starting for the Thunder in the circle. She pitched four innings allowing just one hit and recording four strikeouts. Freshman Adrienne Rosey (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft) recorded two outs in the fifth before making way for senior Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) who recorded the final out with a strikeout.
The game was called due to rain following the fifth inning.
The team improves to 26-6 overall and 12-0 in MIAA competition. They will continue their season when they travel to face Alma College tomorrow, Sunday, April 25. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
