OKLAHOMA CITY -- Trine was eliminated from the NCAA Division III Softball Championship by Virginia Wesleyan as the Marlins earned a 2-0 victory over the Thunder Friday afternoon.
A two-run fourth and the pitching of Hannah Hull led the Marlins to the victory in the elimination game. Hull worked the complete game, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out 10. The NFCA All-American improved to 30-3 on the season. Virginia Wesleyan advances to face the loser of the matchup between Illinois Wesleyan and St. John Fisher in another elimination game tomorrow at 4 p.m. The Marlins are 49-3 on the season.
Trine got a strong combined pitching performance from Danielle Ray (Hamilton, Ohio / Badin) and Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall). Ray fired 4.2 innings of work, allowing two earned runs on four hits, walking four and striking out five. She concluded the season with an 18-5 record. Kampmann worked out of a jam in the fifth and fired 1.1 innings of shutout, one-hit relief work.
A leadoff walk drawn by Cassetty Howerin and a double off the bat of Blake Henderson put two on with none out in the fourth. Teresa Cardamone flared a RBI-single to right-center to score Howerin with the first run of the game. After a strikeout by Ray, Madison Glaubke laid down a bunt single on a squeeze play to make the score 2-0.
The Thunder threatened with two on and one out in the sixth, but a well-executed relay throw to the plate completed a double play to end the inning. Trine also brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Hull shut the door to give the Marlins the win.
Catherine Porter (Canton, Mich. / Plymouth Canton) doubled and was hit by a pitch in the final action of her Thunder career. The senior wrapped up her final season with a career-best .342 batting average, .483 on-base percentage, .535 slugging percentage and 34 RBIs. She tied a career high with five homers. Porter batted .471 in the NCAA postseason with four RBIs.
Trine wrapped up its season 37-10 overall. The Thunder won its second Super Regional title and third Regional title while making its second appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The team's 37 wins are the fifth-most in program history.