LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Trine University softball team gained one spot in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, overtaking the defending national champions to hold the sixth spot.
The only change to the top ten spots in the poll came with the Thunder jumping Christopher Newport University. Salisbury University remained top-ranked, followed by Berry College and Case Western Reserve University rounding out the top three.
Trine won four Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contests this week, securing at least a share of the regular season title. The first two wins came against Hope College in a pair of close contests. The Thunder scored three runs in the top of the eight to secure the first game 3-0 before scoring one run in the first and riding a combined shutout to the second win 1-0.
On Saturday, the team's offense exploded in a pair of dominating wins over visiting Saint Mary's College. Trine outscored the Belles 39-0 in the doubleheader. Game one saw junior Alexis Michon pitch a no-hitter, the 16th in program history and the third by the staff this season. The performance, combined with earning a win and a save against the Flying Dutch, earned Michon MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors.
In the second game the story shifted to freshman Debbie Hill's performance in the batters' box. Hill went four-for-four and recorded nine RBIs during the game, the second most in program history. Along the way she hit for the cycle, with the homerun coming in spectacular grand slam fashion. Hill earned MIAA Position Player of the Week for her performance.
The Thunder will look to secure their 12th MIAA Championship outright when they face Kalamazoo College in the regular season finale. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 5.