ALMA, Mich. – The Trine University softball team won the first game of the day, but ended up with a split after falling in game two to their hosts from Alma College.
The Thunder led the first game from start to finish. Macy Rocha brought in a pair of runs in the first inning to secure the 2-0 lead. Tyra Marcum added another in the third with a solo homer.
The Scots opened the fourth with a pair of hits, forcing Kami Arnett from the circle. Debbie Hill finished out the inning allowing two runs, but eventually ending the threat.
The Thunder added four runs to pad their lead in the fifth. Emma Lee, Mylee Boling and Keelin Wheaton each had RBI hits, with Boling's bringing in a pair of runs. Rocha added another run in the sixth and Wheaton had a sac fly in the seventh for the final score of nine runs. With Alma scoring one in the sixth, the final score was 9-3.
Hill got the win in the circle with four innings of relief work. She finished the game allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five. The first two runs of the game counted against Arnett who allowed four hits and one walk. She had one strikeout.
It was Alma's turn to score early in the second game, with the home team putting up three runs in the first. Rocha had a sac fly in the bottom of the same inning to make the score 3-1 before the Scots added a run of their on in the second.
Marcum had her second homer of the day with another solo shot in the third inning that cut the lead to 4-2. Then in the fifth, Hill had a two-RBI single and Rocha had an RBI single to give the team their first lead of the game at 5-4.
Alma responded in the top of the sixth after a catcher's interference call extended the inning. They plated three runs and took a 7-5 lead that eventually went final.
Alex Rodriguez entered the game in the first inning and went six and a third innings in total. She allowed four runs, with only two being earned, on six hits and three walks. She struck out nine along the way.
Rocha led the team with five RBIs on a .571 batting average. Wheaton, Boling, Marcum and Hill all finished with two RBIs. Wheaton and Clare Feehan both finished the day with a .667 batting average, though Feehan had more at-bats.
The Thunder finish the day 27-3 overall and 12-2 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. Calvin University swept their final doubleheader of the regular season to finish 13-3 in conference play while Alma finishes the day 10-4. Trine will need to sweep their final doubleheader to secure an outright regular season title. If they split, they would end up in a tie with Calvin that would need to be broken by currently undecided criteria.
Trine will head to face Kalamazoo College on Sunday, May 3 for that decisive final doubleheader. The first game of the day is scheduled for 1 p.m.
