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Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Trine University softball team finished off their trip to Florida with a split on the day. They lost their first contest of the day to the University of Mount Union before picking up a walk-off victory against Cornell College.
The Thunder loaded the bases twice early in the game against the Raiders but were unable to plate a run until the top half of the fifth inning. Senior Claire Ryan (Union Grove, Wis. / Union Grove) brought in the first run of the contest with a strong double. Classmate Victoria Porter (Canton, Mich. / Canton) brought in the other in the next at-bat.
The Raiders offense woke up in the fifth and sixth inning scoring four runs in their two opportunities to take a 4-2 lead. The score would be enough for the win.
The second game of the day saw Trine fall behind in the first inning as they surrendered a two-run homer. Another run in the third gave Cornell a 3-0 lead.
The Thunder chipped away at the score with Lexi Clark (Niles, Mich. / Edwardsburg) and Michaela Hartline (Niles, Mich. / Brandywine) bring in runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth. Trine would enter the final inning down 3-2.
The top half of the seventh saw Cornell add a run to the board to take a 4-2 lead.
Trine started their scoring run with a single from freshman Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) which brought home a run and brought another into scoring position. Junior Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) tied the game at four with a sacrifice fly.
Then freshman Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) played the hero sending a long ball over the centerfield fence to end the game in walk-off style with a 6-4 score.
Freshman Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) pitched a gem in relief to earn a win. She allowed just four hits and a walk while fanning five.
The Thunder improve to 7-3 following the day. They will travel to Greencastle, Ind. to face off with Muskingum University and DePauw University in a pair of contests. The first game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.
