COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Trine University softball team opened their season with a tough slate of games and fell to a pair of nationally ranked opponents according to the NFCA.
The day started with 19th ranked Christopher Newport University who came out with offensive firepower in the first two innings. In the top of the first inning the Captains brought in two runs with one homer and then in the second they brought in another pair of runs one on another homer run.
The Thunder brought in sophomore Adrienne Rosey (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft) to stop the bleeding and the pitcher did just that, allowing just one run in her five innings of work. She finished the game with just the one earned run and five strikeouts.
The opening salvo would prove to be too much for the Thunder to overcome, with Christopher Newport's Kate Alger pitching superbly, she took a perfect game into the seventh inning before the Thunder were able to break it with a pair of walks and a hit. She would strikeout 11 in the 5-0 victory.
Trine had little time to regroup following the loss before facing off with 18th ranked Belhaven University. Sophomore Lauren Clausen (Elk Grove, Ill. / Elk Grove) combined with the opposition to turn the game into a pitching and defensive showcase. She would pitch seven scoreless innings on the back of five strikeouts, while allowing just four hits and two walks.
The game did see the Thunder get some baserunners in the contest with the team finishing with seven hits and three walks in the contest. Junior Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) led the way for the team with a pair of hits. Despite the offense stirring for the team, they were unable to cross home and the game went into extra innings scoreless.
Trine continued to be unable to bring home the runner at second, placed there at the beginning of each inning per international tiebreaker rules and the game remained scoreless in the bottom of the second. The Blazers were able to convert with a pair of bunts in the bottom half of the ninth and took the game with a walk off squeeze bunt to win 1-0.
The Thunder will take on a pair of teams from the Lone Star State tomorrow, Saturday, March 4 as they look to bounce back from their losses. They open the day with East Texas Baptist University at 10 a.m. and Texas Lutheran University at 12 p.m.