KALAMAZOO, Mich. - It was a day of extreme high's for the 15th ranked Trine University softball team as they swept Kalamazoo College to not only set a school record for most wins in a season, but clinched home field advantage for the MIAA Tournament which will be held May 3-4. The sweep also assures Trine of at least as share of the MIAA Regular Season Championship, and can claim the title for themselves with a win at Albion on Friday. The Thunder took game one 25-5 before winning the nightcap 4-1, improving to 32-6 on the season and 13-1 in conference play.

After a 30 minute rain delay to start the game, the Thunder ran away with game one as they plated 16 runs in the top of the first.

Senior Kelly Tresick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) got it all started with a leadoff double down the left field line. Four batters later, freshman Tori Cuebas (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield) knocked in two runs on a double to right center. Trine would then load the bases and score a run as junior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) and sophomore Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) were hit in back-to-back at bats. Junior Lindsey Wise (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) would then walk to score another run. Two batters later, Tresick would deliver her second hit of the inning to score a run.

Junior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) would score Tresick on a single down the right field line which was followed by a double from fellow junior Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey). After Cuebas was hit by a pitch, Harris would reach on a Hornets error to score a run. Wise would deliver a single up the middle, before junior Andee Browne (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) knocked a double down the left field line to score Wise and Harris.

Tresick would end the scoring just like she started it, as she delivered a single up the middle to score Browne.

Although the NCAA does not keep records of how many players have had three hits in a single inning of a game, the only instances that could be found were by Kurisha Hoffman of Salisbury (April 10, 2007; 31-1 win over Gallaudet) and Tiffany Burek  of Plattsburg St. (March 3, 2007; 21-1 win over Guilford).

The 16 runs scored by the Thunder in the first inning is tied for the 5th most in NCAA Division III Softball history, and the most since Beloit set the record of 26 on April 7, 2009 against Mount Mary.

Trine would add two more in the second on a sacrifice fly by Harris and then Gasco would score on another Kalamazoo error.

The Hornets would score four in the bottom of the second, two of which came on a two-out home run and then scored two more on a two-out single.

Trine would add on six more in the third as freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) would score two on a triple. Searles would then come home on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Paxton Fleming (Boulder City, Nev./Boulder City). Junior Ashton Morgan (Berne, Ind./South Adams) would step in for her first collegiate at-bat and deliver a single through the left side. Cuebas would follow with a triple to right center, and then round the base and score on a Kalamazoo throwing error. Back-to-back walks to Harris and Daniels would allow Wise to collect another RBI on a single to center.

Trine would not score in the fourth, but added on a run in the fifth as Morgan led off the inning with another single. Cuebas would double to left and Harris would single up the middle to score Morgan.

In all, seven different Trine batters collected multiple hits and multiple RBI as the Thunder collected a season-high 19 hits in game one.

Leading the way for the Thunder was Wise who went 3-4 with three RBI and three runs. Cuebas also went 3-4 at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored. Tresick was perfect in the game going 3-3, with two RBI and two runs. Gasco went 2-3 with three RBI and two runs while Morgan was a perfect 2-2 while scoring twice. Belote was also 2-2 with three runs. Browne collected two hits in the game while adding two runs and two RBI. Harris finished with two RBI and two runs while Searles added three runs and two RBI.

On the mound, Gasco pitched just one inning, striking out two. Morgan came on to pitch the final four innings to earn the win and improve her record to 4-0. Morgan allowed five runs (all earned) on seven hits while striking out three.

It wasn't 16 runs that Trine scored in the first inning of game two, but the Thunder did plate a run to take the early lead.  With one out, Searles singled, stole second and then scored when Gasco singled her sister home.

After failing to score in the second, the Thunder would plate two in the third. After Browne led off the inning with a walk, she stole second. Searles would then single up the middle, to score Browne. Searles would also steal second and then score when Belote grounded out to the pitcher. On the play, Searles took third on the ground out, then scored when the Hornets threw back into third, attempting to retire her.

Trine would load the bases in the fourth, but were unable to push a run across.

Kalamazoo would plate their only run in the sixth as a Thunder error would allow a run to score after a one-out double.

Trine would tack on another run in the sixth started by a leadoff walk to Harris. Daniels would move pinch-runner Wise to second, then sophomore Jamie Lydick (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) would single to right, scoring Wise.

Freshman Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) retired the first two Hornets in order in the top of the seventh, before closing things out to clinch her sixth win of the season. Fuller allowed just three hits on one unearned run while going the distance and striking out six.

Searles, Gasco and Lydick all collected a pair of hits and an RBI in game two.

Trine will look to clinch the out-right MIAA regular season championship when they travel to Albion for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. on April 25 to finish the regular season.