ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University softball team secured the program's 13th, and fifth straight, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship with a lopsided sweep of visiting Albion College.
Today's games were the final of the regular season for all of the MIAA, with the Thunder entering the day one game back of Calvin University. They needed one win to share the title and a sweep to secure the outright championship and hosting duties for the upcoming MIAA Tournament. The team accomplished both goals in convincing fashion.
They began the day with a 12-0 win in five innings. Most of that score came in the bottom of the third inning when the team posted ten runs. Debbie Hill bookended the frame with a pair of homeruns. Tyra Marcum was just a few feet from also coming up with a pair of long balls, putting the opening pitch of the inning well past the fence but just outside the foul pole. She made up for it with at three-run shot to centerfield in her second at bat of the inning. Also coming up with RBIs were Emma Lee, Emma Beyer, Ellie Trine and Karley Trine.
Before the ten runs of the third, Trine opened the scoring in the second inning. Lee led off that inning with a single before stealing second and reaching home on a beautiful bunt single by Beyer. Beyer then stole second herself and reached home on a double from Ainsley Phillips.
With the game comfortably in hand, the Thunder pitching staff cruised to an easy shutout. Alexis Michon started the game and earned the win with three innings of work. She allowed just one hit while striking out five. Lauren Clausen finished off the contest with two perfect innings, allowing no runners while striking out three.
The team kept up the pace in the second game of the day winning 8-0 in five more innings. They put runs on the board in their first at-bats coming in the top of the first. Marcum started off with her second homer of the day, good for two RBIs. Not to be outdone Hill followed up with a solo shot to make the score 3-0.
Hill went to the circle for the bottom of the first, the start of a four-inning win for the sophomore. She allowed just two hits while striking out three in the shutout win.
The Thunder added five more runs in the top of the fourth inning to build the 8-0 lead. Talisa Chafey brought in the first run, before Karley Trine added a pair of RBIs on a double. Macy Rocha finished off the scoring with a two-run double of her own later in the inning.
Clausen returned to the circle to finish off the game in the bottom of the fifth. She recorded two more strikeouts in her final inning of work. In total the senior pitched three perfect innings for the day with five strikeouts.
The team had eight stolen bases in the contest, including three from Lee. The sophomore also went four-for-five on the day. Marcum led the team with five RBIs while going three-for-six with her two homers. Hill finished the day four-for-five with her three home runs, accumulating a massive 2.800 slugging percentage.
The Thunder finish the regular season with a 36-3 overall record while going 14-2 in MIAA play. They now turn their attention to the upcoming MIAA Tournament, which they will host beginning on Thursday, May 9. Trine will face Adrian College in the opening game, which is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
