ANGOLA, Ind. – It took an extra inning, but the Trine University softball team opened the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament, presented by Collegiate Credit Union, with a victory over Hope College. Whitney Duell walked off the contest in the eighth inning giving the team a 2-1 win.
The game began as a pitching duel, with both Gianna Kerschbaum of the Flying Dutch and Kami Arnett taking shutouts into the fourth inning. Arnett did it by limiting runners on the basepaths, allowing just one hit through six innings. The Thunder tested Kerschbaum throughout the contest, but left runners on base in every inning, 12 in total during the game.
Trine broke the stalemate in the fourth inning. Clare Feehan started the inning with a single before advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt by the Hope catcher. Mylee Boling bunted into a squeeze play, with Feehan ultimately holding at third and Boling reaching safely. Boling then attempted to steal second and, despite being caught at second, allowed Feehan to scamper home on the throw.
The 1-0 lead lasted until the top of the seventh inning when Kerschbaum helped herself in the batters' box. The solo home run tied the game and would ultimately force extra innings.
Arnett's game ended in the top of the eighth after allowing just the third hit of the game. She finished the day with seven-and-a-third innings of work, allowing just the one run on three hits and a walk, while striking out four. Alex Rodriguez recorded the final two outs of the eighth, both on flyballs.
Boling opened the bottom of the eighth by drawing a walk from the Flying Dutch's relief pitcher. After a bad bunt led to an out, Duell came to the play and recorded her game ending double to left center field, scoring Boling all the way from first.
Trine improves to 30-3 overall following the win, which sends them to the winners' side of the MIAA Tournament bracket, one more victory from the championship tilt. They will face today's other winner, second-seeded Calvin University, tomorrow, Thursday, May 7 at 11 a.m. The loser of that game will return to the field at 4 p.m. for an elimination game against the winner of the 1:30 p.m. contest between Hope College and Alma College.
