BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Trine University softball team notched three homers in a thrilling come from behind, extra inning victory against Linfield University. Karley Trine recorded the game winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth in walk off fashion.
"That's one of the best games I've been a part of in 21 years," said head coach Donnie Danklefsen after the game, "I was more nervous going into that lineup than I have ever been. I'm really proud of our team. You talk about fight, resilience, heart, whatever word you want to use, the showed a lot of it today."
The Thunder struck first in the contest with offense coming from an unlikely source. April Sellers made the start in left field and came up with just the second homer of her career to give the team a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. It is just the second home run of the senior's collegiate career.
"It felt like a dream," said Sellers, "I didn't even really see where the ball went, when I hit it. I just heard people screaming."
The Wildcats responded in the third inning, utilizing the long ball as they have done all season. They nation leading home run hitters recorded a pair of long balls, scoring five runs to take the 5-2 lead.
Debbie Hill added to her record-breaking season with a home run of her own in the bottom of the third, cutting the lead to 5-4.
The top of the fifth saw Linfield go long again, plating two more to make the score 7-4. It was short lived again with the Thunder loading the bases for Macy Rocha who had a hit to right center that scored a pair and brought the team back within one again.
The homers kept coming for the Wildcats, with two more runs scoring on a long hit in the sixth inning and took the 9-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
Down to their last three outs, Karley Trine led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk bringing the heart of the lineup to the plate. Tyra Marcum responded with a homer to right center that cut the lead to one, before Hill walked. The next two batters recorded outs, with Hill moving to second on a passed ball. Down to their last out, Emma Beyer came to the plate and hit a ball to left center, scoring Hill despite being thrown out at second.
The game headed to extras with the score tied 9-9 and Hill returned to the circle for her fifth inning of work. The junior ultimately finished the game allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, but her best work came in the eighth inning when she set down the side in order to keep the game tied.
Ainsley Phillips drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth and moved to third on a single from Whitney Duell bringing Jo Trine back to the plate with just one out on the board. With the count and 1-0 she hit a deep fly ball to left center that looked like it had a chance to reach the wall but fell short into the glove of the centerfielder. It was still enough to walk off the game, with Phillips sprinting home for the tenth run.
The win gives the Thunder a 44-5 overall record and sends them to the Championship Series of the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship for the third time in the past four seasons.
"At Trine we have a standard of winning and working hard. Our motto this year has been nobody cares work harder and that is a testament to what we are as a team," explained Beyer, "We knew we were good enough to make it back to this stage. I'm just so proud that we put in the hard work to do it. There have been hard moments this season and games like this make it all worth it."
The Thunder will enjoy another day off tomorrow before taking to the field again on Tuesday, June 3. They will face the winner of the elimination game between Virginia Wesleyan University and Randolph Macon College, which is still ongoing currently. The lone game on Tuesday is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET.
