-- Story provided by Trine University Athletics --
MARSHALL, Texas – Three seeded Trine University softball dropped their first game of the 2023 NCAA Division III Softball Championship by the score of 11-4 to the sixth seed team from Rowan University. The game served as the nightcap of a first day that saw all four top seeds fall in upsets.
"Rowan outpitched us, they out hit us and they out competed us. They really played a great game," said head coach Don Danklefsen after the loss, "But tomorrow is another day and I know this team has the fight to come back from this."
The Profs certainly looked ready for the Thunder, becoming the first team this season to record a double-digit run total against the nationally ranked pitching staff. Freshman Debbie Hill gave up the first hit of the game in the top of the first inning, but the Rowan offense really got going in the third inning when they posted four runs on three hits.
Trine made a change in the circle for the top of the fourth, bringing junior Lauren Clausen in for her first action of the postseason. She gave up three earned runs and another unearned in her two and change innings of work.
The Thunder offense finally found some traction in the fifth inning. Sophomore Emma Beyer recorded the first hit of the game for the team. Freshman Reese Ruvalcaba, as a pinch runner, and sophomore Ainsley Phillips went on to plate the first runs of the game each with an RBI-single.
"Being a pinch hitter has been a big challenge for me," explained Ruvalcaba, "My mentality is to go up there and keep the inning going. I want to put the ball in play and see what happens, that worked well today."
Rowan kept the runs coming however, scoring four more in the sixth to put the Thunder in danger of a run-rule loss by making the score 11-2. Trine showed grit in the bottom half of the same inning, with senior Amanda Prather starting a rally by legging out a grounder to the pitcher and advancing to second on an errant throw. Junior Scarlett Elliott followed up with a double down the leftfield line cutting the lead to eight.
Freshman Ashleigh Tranter brought in Elliott a batter later on a single back up the middle. The run kept the Thunder alive and ensured them one more time at the plate.
"I think it shows that we do have the fight we need to put up runs and have success down here," answered Elliott when asked about the late inning successes, "We were a little late on that today, but I know, I've seen that we can do it early on. We just need to come in tomorrow with confidence and trust in our abilities."
The seventh was a quiet inning for both team's and the score went final at 11-4.
The loss is the Thunder's first since Wednesday, April 19 and moves them into the elimination side of the bracket, one loss away from exiting the tournament.
"There is no other team I'd rather be with to fight our way back," continued Elliott, "We were kind of in that same position last year, we came with no expectations and played like we had our backs against the wall. I think we can claw our way out of any situation we are put in."
The team will look to do just that tomorrow, Friday, June 2. They will need to do what they have done each of the other four times they have lost this season, win, but this time the stakes are high with the loser of the 1:30 p.m. CT / 2:30 p.m. ET game being eliminated. Across the diamond will be two-seeded Linfield University, who lost their opening game 3-0 to Coe College.
