ANGOLA, Ind. - The 13th ranked Trine University softball team needed to win three games in one day in order to take home the MIAA Tournament title, but they fell an out short of their goal.

Trine (37-8) was forced to play four games in a single day as they had to resume their game from the previous day against Alma. The Thunder fell in that game 9-1, then rallied back to defeat Adrian 9-6.

Against Adrian, Trine got things started off quickly, putting two runs in the top of the first. A triple by freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey), scored senior Kelly Tresick (Clinton Township, Mich./L'Anse Creuse) who had reached on a  walk. Searles would also score on the play on an Adrian error.

The Thunder would put two more runs on the board in the top of the second.  A single by junior Lindsey Wise (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) would allow sophomore Jillian Craig (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) to score, before she would also score on a single by Tresick.

The scoring continued in the third for the Thunder as they pushed across two more runs. A single by junior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) plated a run. Harris would then score on a single from sophomore Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton).

Trine really broke things open in the top of the fourth, pushing three runs across. With the bases loaded, junior Andi Gasco (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) would clear the bases with a double to the gap.

Freshman Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) got the win on the mound, going five innings giving up eight hits, just two walks, and racking up five strikeouts. Fuller moved to 8-1 on the year. Junior Ashton Morgan (Berne, Ind./South Adams) got her first save of her career, pitching two innings while giving up just one hit.

Trine advanced to the championship game where they were in a must win situation to force a decisive game seven and they did just that. They defeated the Alma by a score of 3-2 in walk off fashion to force a final game.

In the second, junior Andee Browne (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) came on to run for freshman Tori Cuebas (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield) after she reaching on a walk. Browne would be brought in on a single from Wise.

Alma would answer back in the top of the fourth with a run of their own before taking the lead in the fifth on a solo home run.

Trine would return that favor in the bottom of the inning as Harris would belt a solo home run of her own to left, tying the game.

In the bottom of the seventh the Thunder offense delivered in a big way. Searles started things off with a single up the middle then Gasco was hit by a pitch. Junior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then on a 2-0 pitch, Cuebas delivered the game-winner, a single up the middle, scoring Gasco to win the game.

Gasco got the win on the mound going all seven innings, giving up nine hits, two walks while striking out two. Gasco earned her 20th win of the season for the second straight season.

The winner-take-all Game 7 came down to the final inning as Trine was looking to become the first team in a decade to come out of the elimination bracket to win the tournament title.

Alma scored first in the bottom of the first on a two-out single.

Trine would answer back in the top of the second as Belote took a pitch over the left field wall for her sixth homer of the season.

Neither team would score in the third, fourth or fifth as the game would turn into a pitcher's duel, until Alma plated a run in the sixth after three consecutive walks, including one with the bases loaded.

Alma would record the first two outs in the top of the seventh before Daniels singled to put the tying run on first and Wise followed with a single to right. The Thunder would be unable to get the tying run across, as the final out was recorded.

Gasco suffered just her fifth loss of the season, going six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on just three hits, but struggled with her control as she walked seven batters while striking out five.

On the day, Searles was outstanding at the plate going 6-10, with two runs score and an RBI. In her final at bat of the tournament, Searles set a new school single season record for hits, eclipsing the mark of 69 by Mackenzie Peffley in 2001. With her triple against Adrian, she also tied a school record for the most in a season.

Wise also had terrific day, going 5-10 with two RBI and a run scored. Harris collected three hits in nine at bats including her eighth home run while driving in two and scoring twice. Belote, Tresick and Daniels each collected a pair of hits for the day. Gasco, Belote and Tresick each scored twice, while Gasco also drove in three.

It was the sixth straight year that the MIAA regular season champion was unable to capture the tournament title. The game was the 10th meeting between the two teams in the MIAA Tournament, as the Thunder lead the series now 7-3. Trine set a new school record for hits in a season on the day, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2009 and also tied the school record for doubles.

Trine will now await word from the NCAA on where and when they will play in the Regional Tournament, which would begin either May 10 or 11. Although the Thunder are not guaranteed a spot, they had been ranked first in the region going into the conference tournament.