Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 By Sports Information Student Assistant Haleigh
Daniels
HOLLAND, Mich. - The No.4
Trine University Softball team continued their hot streak shutting
out Hope College with a 7-0 win in the first game and adding to the
win column with a 6-0 victory in game two. The sweep of the
previously undefeated in the conference Hope, moves the Thunder to
27-3 on the season and 10-0 in the MIAA.
In game one, the Thunder remained scoreless
through the first three innings with only two Trine players
reaching base by a walk and an error by the Flying Dutch.
Senior pitcher Andi Gasco (Levering,
Mich./Petoskey) allowed no hits through the first three innings and
struck out the side in both the second and third.
Gasco would help get the offense started the
fourth inning with a base hit to left and then advanced to second
on a walk by fellow senior Lauren Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover).
Junior Jillian Craig (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) would then
come in to pinch run for Harris. With two outs in the inning,
senior Sarah Belote (Bronson, Mich./Bronson) battled to earn a walk
to load the bases for sophomore Rachel Harris (Uniontown,
Ohio/Hoover). On the third pitch of her at bat, Harris would knock
her first of three home runs of the day and her second grand slam
of the year to put the Thunder ahead 4-0.
After Hope retired the side in the top of the
fifth inning, Gasco came up clutch to start the sixth inning off
with a solo shot to left field.
Rachel Harris launched her second home run of the
game to start things off in the top of the seventh inning on a shot
to right center. Junior Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton)
followed up with a single to right field. Daniels would be retired
on the fielder's choice by sophomore Carly Searles (Levering,
Mich./Petoskey). After stealing second, Searles would score on a
base hit by fellow sophomore Amy Newell (Three Rivers, Mich./Three
Rivers) to put the Thunder up by the final score of 7-0.
The Flying Dutch would get their only hit in the
bottom of the seventh inning with two outs on a pinch hit single to
right field, but the batter would be thrown out trying to advance
to second by sophomore Leah Hall (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin
Central).
Gasco finished the game throwing a one-hit
shutout, allowing three walks and striking out 11 Hope batters.
With the win in game one, coach Don Danklefsen
earned his 250th career victory as head coach of the Trine
University Softball program.
In the nightcap, sophomore Bree Fuller
(Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton) retired Hope in order in the top of the
first as she struck out the first three Flying Dutch batters she
faced. The Thunder came right back to score a run in the bottom of
the first. Searles started things off with a single to right field
and then stole second. After freshman Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet,
Tenn./Wilson Central) moved Searles to third base with a ground out
to the pitcher, Newell would again drive in Searles, this time with
a single to left.
In the bottom of the third, the Thunder added two
runs after Newell doubled to left field and then advanced to third
on the throwing error by the left fielder. Gasco collected her
second home run of the day on a shot to left field, putting the
Thunder up 3-0.
Fuller would collect another 1-2-3 inning in the
top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Belote would
reached on an error by the Hope third baseman and scored two
batters later when Searles doubled to left.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Thunder
scored two more runs on back-to-back homers by Belote and Rachel
Harris. Trine would then load the bases as Searles reached on a
base hit followed by walks to Clark and Newell. The Flying Dutch
would retire the next two Trine batters as the Thunder left the
bases loaded.
Fuller would get another 1-2-3 inning in the top
of the seventh as she struck out two more Hope batters to finish
with 10 strikeouts on the afternoon. Fuller allowed just three hits
over seven innings while not allowing a walk.
Rachel Harris, Gasco, Searles and Newell all
collected three hits on the afternoon. Rachel Harris also led the
Thunder with six RBIs on the day while Gasco drove in three and
Newell added a pair of RBIs. Rachel Harris, Gasco and Belote all
added three runs scored for the Thunder. Searles would also score
twice while Daniels added a pair of hits.
After the six home runs hit in the sweep, Trine
set a new MIAA record for home runs in a season with 23. The
previous record of 20 was shared by Trine from a season ago and
Alma during the 2008 season.
The squad will take a day off before returning to
the field on April 18 when they host Albion for a pair of
conference games beginning at 3:30 p.m.