HOLLAND, Mich. – The Trine University softball team retook sole possession of first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings by sweeping their hosts from Hope College. It is the team's fourth straight sweep.
Game one of the day was never in doubt, but still needed seven innings to go final at 10-1 in favor of the Thunder. The lone run of the first period came when Tyra Marcum doubled to left field bringing home Ellie Trine.
In the bottom of the first Debbie Hill took to the circle and began a dominating performance. She would ultimately allow just one run on three walks and five hits while striking out eleven batters. It is the fourth time this seasons he reached double digit strikeouts in a contest.
The team added to their lead in the top of the third. The elder Trine brought in the first run with a single with Marcum adding her second RBI quickly after. Macy Rocha's homer scored a pair and built the lead to 5-0. Scarlett Elliott brought in two more runs with a homer of her own in the fourth inning.
The Flying Dutch got on the board in the fifth with an RBI double that cut the lead to 7-1.
After a scoreless sixth, the Thunder added three insurance runs in the seventh to reach the final score of 10-1. Emma Lee rallied the forces with a two-out solo shot, followed by a triple from Emma Beyer. Ainsley Phillips brought in a run with a single before Ellie Trine singled for the final score in the game.
Ellie Trine led the way in the game offensively going four-for-five in the box, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Beyer went three-for-four and Elliott finished two-for-two in the game. Elliott, Rocha and Marcum also recorded two RBIs in the game.
The Thunder doubled down in the second game winning 11-2 in six innings. Batting in the bottom of the frame for the game, Rocha brought in the first run in the first inning with a single up the middle.
Hope took a lead of their own in the second, tallying a two-run homer to pull ahead at 2-1.
That lead held until the fourth when Trine scored three runs to build a 4-2 score. Beyer, Ellie Trine and Talisa Chafey each posted RBI hits in the inning.
Beyer brought in another in the fifth with a double down the right field line. Alexis Michon brought in the second run and Marcum brought in a pair to finish the scoring in the half inning with the score set at 7-2. Ellie Trine would end the game in the sixth with a bases clearing double that walked off the game via the run-rule.
In the circle, Michon played all five innings for the team. She allowed the two runs on five hits while striking out five on her way to her 14th win of the season.
The Thunder improve to 34-3 overall and 12-2 in MIAA play following the pair of wins. They take sole possession of first place in the conference standings with Hope now sitting in second, one game back at 11-3. The team will finish the regular season on Sunday, May 5 with a doubleheader against Albion College that is set to begin at 2 p.m.