ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University softball team secured head coach Don Danklefsen's 500th career victory with a sweep of visiting Saint Mary's College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) doubleheader.

The Thunder didn't find their offensive rhythm until the bottom of the third inning of the first game. Junior Lexi Clark (Niles, Mich. / Edwardsburg) started the inning with a double to left-center. Sophomore Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) brought her home when she reached first on an error. Trine was brought in herself when senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervilet, Mich. / Watervilet) recorded her third homer of the season.

The team would add another run in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from senior Bailey Vande Giessen (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Portage Central).

Senior Hannah Kampmann (St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin Derham Hall) got the start in the circle for Trine and pitched most of the contest finishing with eight strikeouts while allowing just five hits and no runs for the sixth win of the season. Freshman Adrienne Rosey (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft) finished out the final two outs of the game to earn the save.

The Thunder opened up the second contest of the game with a four-run first. Sophomore Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) and freshman Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) brought in the four runs both with doubles.

The Belles had their first offensive success of the day with three runs in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to one at 4-3.

Trine responded by going on a 10-0 run over the next four innings. They scored two in the top of the second with Elliott and senior Victoria Porter (Canton, Mich. / Canton) each recording an RBI. Then they came up with four runs in the third with Trine and Daugherty coming up with an RBI each and Prather recording another two-run double.

The Thunder's last runs came in the fifth inning with RBIs going to Trine, Clark and Elliot.

At the stripe, sophomore Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) pitched the entire game for the team, picking up her sixth win of the season. She recorded five strikeouts while allowing just five hits and three earned runs.

The pair of victories mark the 499th and 500th of coach Danklefsen's career. All told in his time at Trine he has recorded a 500-173 record good enough for a .743 winning percentage. Danklefsen's winning percentage is in the top-20 among active coaches in NCAA Division III.

The Thunder improve to 16-4 overall and 6-0 in the MIAA following the historic victories. They will continue their season when they travel to Holland, Mich. to face off with Alma College and Hope College in a pair of contests on Friday, April 9. The first game of the day is set to start at 2 p.m.