BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Trine University defeated Virginia Wesleyan University to secure the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball Championship, the second national title in program history. Emma Lee played hero with a sixth-inning home run that secured the 3-1 victory.

"It was a great game," said Head Coach Donnie Danklefsen, "We knew it was going to be a battle and it was everything we expected. I kept thinking we haven't been shutout all year and eventually someone is going to get one on us. But Space [Lee] came through for us!"

After receiving an impromptu day of rest due to rain, the two teams took the field today, Thursday, June 5 to determine the national championship. The Thunder needed just one victory after securing game one of the series by the score of 8-1.

The rest allowed the team to comfortably send Alexis Michon back to the circle for the final time in her storied career. Despite a season's worth of toll to the pitching arm, Michon was once again nearly perfect in the contest, despite a rocky start.

Before she took the circle the team went to the plate, serving as the visiting team in the contest. Whitney Duell led off the game with a single down the left field line and then seemed to score on an error during the next at-bat, with Karley Trine laying a tough bunt that caused the throw. A review determined that there was interference on the play and the run came off the scoreboard.

Michon set down the first two batters before allowing a single down the right field line. The runner ultimately took off for second and drew an error from the Thunder, eventually reaching home despite a spectacular relay from Lee to Emma Beyer to Ainsley Phillips at home.

Both pitchers settled in after the strange first inning. Michon did so despite tweaking her leg during the third inning. She powered through and allowed just one more hit and two walks during the final six innings of the contest. Along the way she set down eight Marlin batters. The win is her 26^th of the season and the 26^th straight she has recorded since an opening loss at the start of the year.

Despite the lock down pitching for Trine, the offense faced an uphill battle of their own. It took until the fifth inning for the team to threaten any runs of their own. With one out on the board, April Sellers didn't give up after a swinging strike three, beating the throw to first. She advanced to third on a single by Ainsley Phillips who reached second on the throw. Neither found their way home with the next two batters going down on foul balls.

The finals offensive leaders for the Thunder both came through for the team in the sixth inning. Debbie Hill reached base on a full-count walk followed by Macy Rocha singling through the middle and putting runners on first and second. It was then that Lee made her heroic at-bat. After a pair of balls she fouled a pitch down the left field line before straightening out the swing and going over the right center fence. The three-run bomb gave the team the 3-1 lead.

"This hasn't been my best week offensively, but my team and coaches have been telling me all week that I've got this," said Lee, "I was nervous, but I just kept taking deep breaths and thinking of those teammates."

In addition to the game winning homer, Lee made history in another way. During the contest she recorded her 33^rd steal for the season without being caught once. It sets the program record for most steals with out a caught season in a season.

With the lead in hand, Michon closed out the game with two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit in the bottom of the seventh on the way to the national championship win. She recorded the final out not with pitching but fielding a tricky groundball between her circle and the third base line.

"My team is the reason," said Michon while reflecting on what got her through this game, "Every inning when I go out I look at my teammates and I say this is the reason. No injury was going to keep me out of this game. I told myself I'm not coming out of this game."

"She's my pitcher and teammate of the year for sure," said Danklefsen, "I'm so proud of her."

Following the contest the NCAA announced the all-tournament team. Rocha and Hill earned spots on the team for their offensive and defensive efforts. Michon was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

"I'm just so proud of this team," explained Danklefsen, "It's just hitting me that we won it for the second time. It's a great moment for this team, but it's a little bittersweet as these seniors played their last game. I'm so proud of all of them, but man I'm going to miss them."

The Thunder finish the season with a 46-5 record, tying the program record for most wins, but doing it with one less loss than the 2023 national championship squad.