LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the third straight week, the Trine University softball team stayed put in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Coaches Poll, once again selected fourth in the nation by the group.
The top six teams in the rankings remained the same from last week. Salisbury University once again took the top spot with Linfield University and East Texas Baptist University rounding out the top three. Calvin University remains the only other member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) to be ranked, sitting in 24th for the third straight week.
The Thunder boasted another undefeated week, going 4-0 over their MIAA competition. Once again, the offense was superb as they outscored their opponents 46-4 in those games. The team opened with two wins against The University of Olivet, with Emma Lee homering in both games on the way to 16-1 and 10-0 finals.
The final games of the week were a battle for first place in the conference standings as Trine traveled to Hope College for a doubleheader. Game one saw a steady supply of offense that finished with a three-run seventh for the final score of 10-1. Game Two ended early on a two-run double from Ellie Trine in the bottom of the sixth, walking off the game with a score of 10-2. Ellie Trine was spectacular on the day finishing seven for ten at the plate with three doubles for six RBIs.
The pair of wins puts the team atop the MIAA standings with a record of 12-2, one game ahead of the Flying Dutch and two games ahead of Calvin. The team controls their own destiny and can secure at least a share of the title with one win in their final doubleheader of the season. A sweep of Albion College on Sunday, May 5 would secure the championship outright.