ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University softball team dropped to the elimination bracket after a morning loss but notched a come from behind victory in their second game to survive until the final day of their NCAA Division III Softball Championship regional.
The day started with a contest against Loras College, with both teams 1-0 in the regional at the time. The game started as a pitching duel with neither team scoring through the first three innings. Kami Arnett made the start for the Thunder and took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before the Duhawks scored the first runs of the day. Loras took advantage of an error with a clutch single that scored a pair of runs and gave them a 2-0 lead.
The Thunder never got the offense going and the Duhawks finished the game with the shutout 2-0 victory. Arnett finished the game as the pitcher of record, allowing just the two unearned runs on one hit and four walks while striking out seven. Debbie Hill entered for the final five outs of the game and allowed just one hit and a walk while striking out three.
The loss sent Trine to the elimination bracket where they faced the University of Rochester (N.Y.) needing a win to survive in the tournament. The Thunder struck first in the game with Tyra Marcum recording a sacrifice fly that brought home Karley Trine after her opening triple. The next three innings turned grim for the home team with the Yellowjackets scoring five runs to build a 5-1 lead.
Macy Rocha brought in a run in the fourth to cut into that deficit, tripling down the right field line to score Zaelyn Myles from first. Rochester answered the run in the fifth to make the score 6-2.
The Thunder were down to their last six outs when the offense finally found its normal groove. Marcum opened the sixth with a double before Hill sparked the team with a towering homer to right field. In addition to turning the tide the home run was historic, making the senior the program's career leader with 63 home runs.
Rocha followed up with a solo shot that pulled the team within one and forced a pitching change by the Yellowjackets. The team pieced together two hits with Emma Lee ending up on third base with Mylee Boling up to bat. With speed at both ends, the Thunder ran a squeeze play that brought home Lee and tied the game.
Whitney Duell kept the runs coming with a fielder's choice that scored a run from third. In her second at-bat of the inning Marcum fired a double down the right field line that cleared the loaded bases and made the score 10-6.
In the circle Sydney Adolfson made the start and went for five-and-two-thirds innings. She allowed the six runs, only two of which were earned, on seven hits and three walks while striking out four. After she ran into trouble in the sixth, Alex Rodriguez finished out the game with five outs of strong working including a clutch three final outs in the seventh. She secured the sixth win of her season, allowing one hit while striking out two.
After the split the Thunder end the day 34-5 overall. They face a hill to climb to continue their national championship defense, needing two wins against Loras tomorrow, Saturday, May 16. The first game is scheduled for 11 a.m. with a second game to follow should Trine win. The Thunder will serve as visitors for the first game.
