ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University softball team shutout visiting Spalding (Ky.) University twice to earn the doubleheader sweep.
Alexis Michon has yet to surrender a hit at home, recording a no-hitter in game one, before
Debbie Hill allowed just three hits in game two on the way to the wins.
Despite threatening in the first few innings, the Thunder didn't get on the board until the bottom of the fourth during the first game of the day. With two outs in that half inning
Emma Beyer came up with an RBI single before stealing second.
Keelin Wheaton followed up with a single of her own to bring in the second run, before stealing second herself.
Ainsley Phillips doubled for the third run and
Whitney Duell singled for a final fourth run.
The longball gave the team their next two runs, with
Tyra Marcum and
Debbie Hill recording back-to-back solo shots to start the bottom of the fifth. Wheaton earned another RBI on a groundout later in the inning to build the final 7-0 lead.
It was more than enough with Michon pitching. The senior was perfect until the fifth inning when she clipped a batter on an inside pitch. That ended up being the lone baserunner of the day in her third no-hitter since joining the team. It was an absolutely dominate game that included 15 strikeouts, tying the second highest game total in program history.
Hill took to the circle for the second game and took a few innings to settle in. She allowed a pair baserunners in the first and another in the second before closing out the rest of the game. She finished the shortened contest with eight strikeouts and just three hits against her.
On the other side of the plate, Hill opened the scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. She added two more RBIs in the third with a double.
Macy Rocha had a double to follow Hill in the second, bringing home a run of her own, while Beyer grounded out in the third to bring home Hill.
It was
Emma Lee that finished the game for the team, hitting a home run to left field that scored three in the fourth inning and put the score at 8-0. After the final three outs in the top of the fifth that score went final.
Trine finishes the day with a 16-4 record. They will take the field again tomorrow, Sunday, March 30 when they host the University of Mount Union. That doubleheader, which was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., has been moved up to a noon start in response to forecasted evening weather.
