COLUMBUS, Ga. – The Trine University softball team, who are ranked first in the nation, split their second day at the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Leadoff Classic. They opened the day by defeating #24 Belhaven (Miss.) University 6-4, before dropping their game against #23 Berry College by the same score.

Both teams scored in the first inning of the day with Debbie Hill bringing in the first run of the day on a double, before the Blazers responded in the bottom half. Keelin Wheaton and Tyra Marcum both had RBIs in the third to give the team a 3-1 lead. Belhaven scored three in the bottom of the inning, taking their lone lead of the day.

It was short lived with Trine score three in the fourth inning to take the lead 6-4. Abbie Geib hit a double to go ahead 5-4, followed closely by a single by Natalie Summers that added the insurance run.

Brylie Couch made the start for the team, but Alex Rodriguez finished out the final five innings and secured the win. She allowed three runs on eight hits but struck out six.

Errors plagued The Thunder in their second game of the day. They finished with four errors that made all six runs by the Vikings unearned. Berry scored three in the third to build their first lead of the contest. Marcum responded in the bottom half of that same inning with a bases clearing double.

Trine took a lead in the fifth when Whitney Duell brought home a runner with a single to left field. The Vikings scored the final three runs of the game in the sixth to take the 6-4 lead.

Hill pitched the first six innings of the contest allowing seven hits with five strikeouts. Sydney Adolfson finished out the contest with two strikeouts of her own.

The team finishes the day 9-1 following the pair of games. They will finish their spring break trip tomorrow, Sunday, March 8. They are set to face #8 East Texas Baptist University at 9 a.m. before taking on Gettysburg College at 11 a.m.