Softball News

05.08 / Washington-Saint Louis Downs TSU in NCAA Regional Opener

The Tri-State University softball team took on the University of Washington-Saint Louis in their opening round of the NCAA Regional. The Bears took down the Thunder 1-0.

TSU recorded two outs to start the top of the third before Washington took advantage. The Bears hit consecutive singles to right field and advanced a runner to third on an error to put runners on the corners with two outs. A single to center field brought the eventual game-winning run across the plate.

The TSU offense was limited on the day to three hits and recorded eight strike outs. Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis), Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon), and Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) had hits for the Thunder. Alishia Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) also reached base for TSU with a walk.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) suffered the loss despite a strong performance. Hudson allowed one run off six hits while striking out three and walking none.

Tri-State falls to 31-7 on the season. Washington improves to 25-13. The Thunder will take on Maryville University tomorrow at 10 a.m. Maryville suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in 13 innings to DePauw.

05.06 / English Named MIAA Most Valuable Pitcher

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Tri-State University was recognized with two players on the All-MIAA First Team, three on the second team and sophomore Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) was named the conference’s Most Valuable Pitcher.

English was joined on the first team by senior centerfielder Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll). Juniors Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts), Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon), and Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) were named to the second team.

English led the MIAA with a 1.47 earned run average and finished the MIAA season with a 4-2 record. English struck out 46 batters this season, 8.47 batters per game, which was third in the conference. English was second in the MIAA with three shutouts and third with an opponent batting average of .224.

Hooker hit at a .404 clip during the MIAA season with a slugging percentage of .654 and led the league with 10 doubles. Hooker tied for sixth in the conference with 21 hits in 16 games and was ninth with 34 total bases.

Righfielder Graham was third in the conference in home runs (four), triples (two), and runs scored (17). Third baseman Richardson was second in the MIAA with 18 runs scored and sixth in hits with 21. Pitcher Hudson had an ERA of 2.03 and had a 5-2 record with two shutouts.

Kylee Brouwer from Hope College was named the Most Valuable Player. Alma won the regular season championship and led the all-conference players with four named to the first team and two named to the second team.

05.05 / TSU Softball Heading to Rock Island, Illinois

The NCAA Division III Softball Committee recently announced the 2008 parings for the Division III Softball Championship. Tri-State University received the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s automatic bid and will travel to Rock Island, Ill. to compete at Augustana College.

TSU has received the #4 seed in the regional. DePauw is the top seed in the regional and finished the regular season with a record of 37-2. DePauw finished the regular season as the top ranked team in the nation according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Wartburg is the second seed with an overall record of 29-6. Wisconsin-Whitewater (30-8) captured the #3 seed. Washington University in St. Louis (24-13) and Coe (31-14) follow with the fifth and sixth seeds. MIAA foe Alma (25-11) received an at-large bid and is seeded seventh. Maryville is the final regional team and finished the regular season at 27-15.

The regional will begin competition on Thursday, May 8 and will last through Monday, May 12. The NCAA Regional uses a double-elimination format. For more information on the Rock Island Regional visit http://www.augustana.edu/x8805.xml.

Rock Island Regional Bracket

05.02 / NCAA Tournament Bound

The Tri-State University softball team captured their second consecutive MIAA tournament and will take a trip to their first NCAA Regional on May 8. The NCAA will announce the complete tournament field and regional destinations on May 4.

The #3 seeded Thunder opened the double elimination tournament with a 6-3 victory over #2 seeded Saint Mary’s College. TSU opened the scoring in the third inning with three runs. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) opened the fourth inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second off an infield bunt single by Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll). Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) drove them home with a homerun to put TSU up 3-0.

Saint Mary’s came fighting back with two runs off three hits and one TSU error in the bottom of the third to pull within one run. The Belles tied the game at three in the fifth inning off a one run homerun. Saint Mary’s threatened with another run in the fifth but got thrown out at home off a relay from left field to shortstop.

Richardson started the sixth inning with a triple down the right field line. Richardson was out at the plate on Hooker’s fielder’s choice to third. Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) put the Thunder up by one with a double to left field that drove in Hooker.

Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) drove in two runs in the top of the seventh with a homerun to left center. Saint Mary’s started the seventh inning with a walk but got picked off in a double play. The next batter lined out to third base to give TSU the round one victory.

Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) earned the game one victory on the mound in the complete game performance. English gave up three runs, two earned, off six hits and struck out four.

Up next for the Thunder was the host and top seeded Alma College Scots. Alma advanced to the winners bracket with a 4-0 win over Hope College.

Game two for the Thunder was a pitchers’ dual. The game remained scoreless after six innings of play. Heading into the seventh, Alma had put together three hits and TSU had been limited to four.

Alma opened the seventh inning with a walk and advanced the runner to second off a sacrifice bunt. The Scots stood with runners on first and second after another walk. TSU threw the runner out at third on a fielder’s choice to shortstop. Alma took a 1-0 lead after an error in right field allowed them to score from second base.

TSU went to the plate down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh. With two out, Alishia Raak (South Haven, Ind./South Haven) started the Thunder’s rally with a single to right center. Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) advanced the runner to second with a single to left center. Graham and the runners advanced with an error by the shortstop to load the bases with one out and TSU still trailing by one. Richardson produced a single to left field that drove in the two game-winning runs.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) secured the win on the mound by allowing one run, zero earned, off three hits and struck out one.

The Thunder’s next opponent in the tournament was the fourth seeded Flying Dutch of Hope College. Hope advanced to the championship game by knocking off the top seeded Scots 4-0. Despite being outhit 11-9 and withstanding a lengthy rain delay, TSU battled to a 5-3 victory in the championship game.

The Thunder started the game with a bang as Hooker drove in Richardson with a home run in the bottom of the first inning to put TSU ahead 2-0 to start the game. Hope pulled within one run in the third inning. The Flying Dutch opened the third with a triple to right field and put the run across the plate off an infield single.

The game remained at 2-1 with TSU heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. Graham reached base off a single through the left side and advanced to second off a Richardson single. TSU stood with runners on second and third with two outs after Hooker flied out to right field. Stensland drove home Graham with a single up the middle to bring the Thunder lead to 3-1. Schudel increased the TSU lead to three runs with a single to the left side to bring home Richardson. After a Hope pitching change, Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) drove in the Thunder’s final run of the tournament with a double down the right field line.

Hope added one more run in the top of the sixth after stringing together three hits in the inning. A lineout to third base was sandwiched between Hope singles to put runners on first and second. A Hope strikeout gave the Thunder two outs with runners on first and second. Both runners advanced to scoring position after a TSU wild pitch. Hope scored one run off a single to center field and tried to sneak another across on the same play. A perfect throw from Hooker in center field denied Hope’s attempt and ended the inning.

TSU held onto a 5-2 lead heading into the seventh inning. Hope started the inning with a home run to left field. TSU got a lineout to first and a pop-up to shortstop for the first two outs of the inning. The final out of the game came off a groundout to third base and TSU sealed the championship.

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) proved to be the third TSU pitcher in as many games to earn a victory. Matthews allowed 10 hits and two earned runs in six innings while striking out four. English earned the save with one inning of work.

04.28 / TSU Splits with Adrian in Softball Action

The Tri-State University softball team took game one of their doubleheader with Adrian College 9-1 in six innings. The Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 victory of their own in the night cap. With the split TSU falls into a tie with Saint Mary’s for second place in the MIAA. Saint Mary’s wins the tiebreaker so TSU will enter the MIAA tournament on Thursday as the third seed.

The Thunder used two big innings in game one to take the 9-1 victory. TSU scored four runs in both the third and sixth inning for the win. In the third, TSU took advantage of two Adrian errors and put together four hits to score four runs. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) started the inning with a double then scored on the play off an error by the left fielder. Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) drove in two runs with a triple and scored on an errant throw by the center fielder to put TSU up  4-0.

Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) started the sixth inning with an infield single. Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) drove her in with a triple to left field. Richardson drove in Graham with a groundout to shortstop. Hayes continued her power hitting with a two RBI double to center field to end the game at 9-1.

In game two, TSU struggled offensively with only three hits and 10 strike outs. Adrian took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning and pulled away with five runs off four hits and one error in the second inning.

TSU concludes the regular season with an overall record of 28-6 and 12-4 in the MIAA. Adrian stands at 21-17 and 9-7 to end their season. TSU will take on Saint Mary’s at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Alma College in game one of the conference tournament.

04.26 / TSU Softball Falls to Second in MIAA Standings

Tri-State and Saint Mary’s split an MIAA doubleheader on Saturday. The TSU loss and Alma College’s sweep of Hope College dropped TSU to second in the MIAA standings. Alma claimed the MIAA regular season title with a 12-3 win over Olivet College on Sunday. As the conference regular season champion, the Scots will host the MIAA Tournament on May 1st and 2nd.

The Thunder took game one by an 8-3 score. The Thunder compiled 10 hits in the game, including two home runs by Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts). Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) limited the Belles to three runs, one earned, off five hits and struck out three.

Graham led the Thunder with three hits, two runs scored and two RBI’s. Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) added two hits. Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) had one hit and drove in two runs.

TSU struggled from the plate in the nightcap as they were limited to only two hits. Saint Mary’s took control of the game with three runs in the first inning and four runs in the fifth. A two-run home run by Ashley Fusaro in the first inning and a two-run home run by McKenna Corrigan in the fifth highlighted the Belles offense in game two.

Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) produced the Thunder’s only two hits in game two.

Tri-State will conclude the regular season on Monday when they host Adrian College. Game one is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.

04.22 / TSU Remains Atop MIAA Standings After Split with Alma

The top teams in the MIAA went into battle Tuesday night and came out with a split that keeps Tri-State ½ game ahead of Alma College in the conference standings. Alma College used a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to take game one 4-3. TSU strung together 14 hits in game two for a 7-2 victory.

Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) drove in Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) with a double in the top of the third inning to put TSU ahead 1-0 in game one. Alma jumped ahead 3-1 with one run in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings. TSU stood in a 3-1 hole heading into the seventh inning.

Alishia Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) started the inning with a walk. Three straight TSU singles by Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton), Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts), and Richardson produced two runs to tie the game at seven.

Alma produced two hits in the bottom of the seventh but could not score a run so the game went to extra innings.

Both teams went three up, three down in the eighth inning. Hivley reached first on an infield single in the top of the ninth inning but was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice and that was the closest TSU would get. Alma’s Trista Geier ended the game with her second home run of the day to give the Scots a 4-3 victory.

The Thunder used a six hit, five run fifth inning to put game two away. TSU entered the fifth inning with the game tied at two. Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa, Waverly Shell Rock) and Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) started the Thunder attack with back-to-back singles that forced an Alma College pitching change. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) drove in two runs with a single up the middle. Two batters later Hivley drove in two more runs with a single up the middle. TSU ended the innings scoring with an RBI single by Richardson.

Hooker led the Thunder at the plate with a 5-8 performance with two doubles. Hivley produced four hits, two RBI’s and two runs scored. Richardson also had four hits and drove in four runs.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) earned the game two win on the mound with two runs, zero earned, off 10 hits with three strikeouts and zero walks. Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) took the game one loss with four runs off nine hits with eight strikeouts and zero walks.

04.21 / TSU Defense Sweeps Kalamazoo in Softball Action

The Tri-State University defense shut out Kalamazoo College in both games of their doubleheader to improve to 25-3 overall and 9-1 in MIAA action. The sweep puts TSU 1/2 game ahead of Alma in the conference standings. TSU and Alma will meet head-to-head tomorrow as TSU travels to Alma for a doubleheader.

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) kept the Hornets off balance at the plate in the complete game one shutout. Matthews struck out four and allowed two hits as TSU rolled to an 8-0 victory in five innings.

The top of the TSU batting order produced plenty of offense on the day. Hitters one through five, Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts), Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon), Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll), Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock), and Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) each had two hits apiece. Graham and Stensland both hit a homerun and Stensland led the Thunder with four runs batted in.

TSU only strung together six hits in the game two 8-0 victory but took advantage of six Kalamazoo fielding errors. Stensland continued her hot hitting with two hits in game two. Graham and Richardson both scored twice. Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) limited the Hornets to two hits and struck out five batters.

04.19 / TSU Offense Rolls in Sweep of Olivet

The Tri-State University swept Olivet College 7-1 and 8-0 in MIAA softball action. TSU pounded out 27 hits on the day and limited the Comets to four total hits.

The Thunder jumped ahead early in game one of the doubleheader with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) started the TSU action with a lead-off triple. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) drove her in with an infield bunt single. Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) drove in Richardson with a single to left field. Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) hit her fifth homerun of the season to drive in Hooker to give TSU a 4-0 lead.

Graham started the TSU action in the fourth inning with a single to left field. Richardson drove her in with a double to left field. Hooker continued the left field action with a double that drove in Richardson to put TSU up 6-0 after four innings.

TSU added an insurance run in the sixth after Hooker opened the inning with a double to left field.  Schudel hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Hooker and end the Thunder’s scoring for the day.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) picked up the win with one earned run off three hits and struck out two. Hudson is now 7-1 on the season.

Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) was the game two winner after striking out seven and allowing one hit and one walk in five innings of play.

Graham once again got the Thunder off on the right foot with a homerun to start game two. A Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) double in the third inning drove in two runs and a Schudel single followed to drive in Stensland. TSU grabbed a 4-0 lead after four innings.

The score remained at 4-0 until the fifth inning when TSU erupted for four runs off four hits. Hooker began the attack with a double to left field. Schudel drove Hooker in with a single to center. Alishia Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) drove in three runs with a triple to right field.

Graham went 4-7 on the day with four runs scored. Schudel drove in five runs off four hits. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) went 3-4 at the plate with two walks. Hooker had four hits with three doubles and three runs scored.

Tri-State improves their season record to 23-3 on the season and 7-1 in conference action. Olivet falls to 9-18 overall and 4-7 in the MIAA. TSU will return to action on Monday at home in a make-up game against Kalamazoo College.

04.16 / TSU Softball Sweeps Albion

The Tri-State University softball team swept Albion College by scores of 11-3 and 9-0 in five innings each game. The Thunder improve their season record to 21-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA. Albion drops their season record to 12-13 and 3-9 in conference action.

Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) and Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) each hit a homerun for TSU. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) tripled and Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) doubled to lead the Thunder’s 12 hit attack.

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) earned the game one win on the mound with three earned runs off six hits. Matthews stands at 7-1 on the season. Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) picked up the game two shutout by allowing three hits and striking out 11.

Hooker continued her strong hitting with a 3-3 performance, including two doubles. Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) had two hits with three RBI’s and one run scored. Richardson and Schudel also contributed with two hits apiece.  

04.08 / Softball Earns Crucial MIAA Split with Hope

The Tri-State University softball team earned a hard fought split with visiting Hope College. TSU took the Flying Dutch to eight innings in game one before Hope came away with a 4-3 victory. TSU bounced back with a come-from-behind 3-2 win in the night cap.

TSU jumped ahead in game one with two runs in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead over Hope. Hope took advantage of four hits and two TSU errors in the sixth inning to score three runs and jump ahead 3-2. A Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) double in the bottom of the sixth drove in pinch runner Tori Bluhm (Monroe, Ind./Adams Central) to tie the game at three heading into the seventh.

Neither team could cross home plate in the seventh and the game entered extra innings. Hope opened the eighth inning with a triple then a single that gave them the game-winning run. TSU went down one, two, three in the bottom of the eighth.

Offense was hard to come by for both teams in game two as TSU put together six hits and Hope had five. Hope started the scoring in the third inning with one run off two hits. TSU answered the call in the top of the fourth with timely hitting and taking advantage of a Hope error.

Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) started the inning with a single to left field. Hayes continued her clutch hitting for TSU with an RBI triple and scored off an error by the second baseman on the relay.

TSU repaid the favor by allowing Hope an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at two heading into the seventh.

Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) started the seventh with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Alishia Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven). Graham hit a hard shot to second base that could not be handled and Bednarski scored the game-winning run from second.

Hayes went 4-5 at the plate on the day with two RBI’s and one run scored. Stensland, Bednarski, and Sara Hivley (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) chipped in with two hits apiece.

Elise English dropped her season record to 5-1 with the game one loss. English allowed one earned run off 10 hits and struck out six while walking none. Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) earned the game two win with one earned run off six hits.

04.05 / TSU Softball Wins Ninth Straight Game

The TSU softball team extended their winning streak to nine games with a sweep of Anderson University at Tri-State. The Thunder limited Anderson to four hits in game one on their way to a 7-1 victory. Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) and Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) each homered for the Thunder in game two as TSU earned the sweep with a 6-1 win.

TSU capitalized on two Anderson errors to score three unearned runs in game one. Graham, Stensland, and Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led the TSU attack with two hits apiece. Stensland also had two RBI’s and Graham scored twice.

Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) improves to 5-0 on the season with the win. English gave up one earned run off four hits and struck out 10.

Graham continued her hot hitting in the second game with a 2-4 performance at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) had two hits, two runs scored, and drove in one. Stensland went 1-2 with two RBI’s.

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) went the distance to pick up her sixth win on the season. Matthews allowed six hits and struck out four.

TSU will return to MIAA action on Tuesday when Hope College comes to town. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

04.04 / TSU Softball Victorious in Home Opener

The Tri-State University softball team finally had their home-opener after a series of weather related postponements. The result was worth the wait as TSU took a come-from-behind 7-6 victory in game one and got their offense going with a 9-1 win in game two against Defiance College.

TSU trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning in game one. The Thunder erupted for five runs in the fourth to tie the game at six runs apiece. Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) put the Thunder ahead for good with an inside the park homerun in the sixth inning.

Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) and Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) had three hits apiece for TSU from the one and two spots in the batting order. Graham also drove in two runs and had two stolen bases. Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) contributed with two hits.

Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) picked up the win in relief with 3.0 scoreless innings. English struck out five and allowed one hit.

In the night cap, TSU jumped ahead early and never looked back with two runs in the first and a big five-run second inning. The Thunder put together four hits in the second inning and capitalized on two Defiance errors to score five runs in the second.

Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa, Waverly Shell Rock) had a big day at the plate with a 2-4 performance, one homerun, and five runs batted in. Graham and Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) had two hits apiece for TSU.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) picked up her fifth win of the season in a complete game performance. Hudson gave up one run off four hits and struck out five.

Tri-State improves their season record to 16-2, while Defiance drops to 8-9 overall. The Thunder will return to action tomorrow at home against another HCAC foe, Anderson University.

04.02 / Thunder Softball Sweeps Calvin College

The Tri-State University softball team swept Calvin College to get their first two conference wins of the season. The first game of the night went to six innings and ended in a score of 9-0. The second game went to five innings with a score of 8-0. 

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) threw the first game giving up only three hits, two walks, and striking out three. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) went 4-4 and scored four runs. Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) went 2-4 bringing in two runs and scoring one.

Elise English (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) pitched the second game walking two batters, allowing one hit, and striking out two in the shutout. Richardson and Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly Shell Rock) went 2-3 and each had two RBI’s. Hooker, Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), and Jessica Hutchison (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) each had one RBI. 

TSU improves their season record to 14-2, while Calvin drops to 4-12. Tri-State will have their home opener against Defiance College on Friday. The first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.  

03.30 / English Pitches No-Hitter to Lead TSU to Sweep of Manchester

The Tri-State softball team increases their record to 12-2 with a sweep of Manchester College. The Thunder won 9-0 in five innings and 6-1.

Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) pitched the first game, a no hitter, walking only one and striking out five. The Thunder had nine RBI’s two from Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll), Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), and Alisha Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) and one from Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon), Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis), and Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial). 

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) pitched the second game throwing four girls out at the plate. Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts) went 2-3, scoring one run and driving in two. Alisha Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) also went 2-3, scoring one run and driving in another. 

TSU will face their next opponent, Calvin College, on Wednesday for their first conference games. 

03.26 / TSU Softball Opens Northern Play with a Split

The Tri-State University softball team returned to action after an 18 day lay-off and picked up a split at Huntington University. TSU dropped game one by a 2-1 score. The Thunder bats came alive in game two with 13 hits in an 11-0 five-inning victory.

Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) and Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis) had two hits apiece for TSU in game one. Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax Scotts) contributed with one hit and drove in Bednarski for TSU’s lone run of the game.

Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) suffered her first loss on the mound. Matthews gave up two runs, one earned, off six hits and struck out four in six innings of work.

Schudel highlighted game two with two home runs and five RBI’s. Sallie Richardson (Jackson, Mich./Napoleon) went 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll), Vicki Hayes (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), and Alishia Raak (South Haven, Mich./South Haven) had two hits apiece for the TSU attack.

Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) is 3-1 on the season with the game two victory. Hudson allowed just one hit and struck out four in five innings.

TSU will open MIAA action on Saturday against Kalamazoo College. The start time for game one has been moved to 3 p.m.

03.10 / TSU Softball Returns from Florida 9-1

The Tri-State Lady Thunder softball team got their season rolling with seven straight wins, dropped one, and finished their spring trip with two more wins. Their first seven wins came over Rockford College (11-3), Worcester Polytechnic (6-1), Eastern University (2-1), Anna Maria College (11-3), Dominican University (10-0), Clark University (7-3), and St. Joseph’s Maine (4-0). The Thunder’s next opponent, Desales University, broke their winning streak with a score of 7-6. Quickly recovering, the TSU Thunder ended the week beating Wisconsin Lutheran (15-0) and Eastern University (8-2). A great start for the Tri-State softball team coming home with a record of 9-1.

Brittney Stensland (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock) led the Thunder offense with a batting average of .452 including 14 hits, 10 RBI’s, and one homerun. Karly Hooker (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) also drove in 10 RBI’s, had one homerun, and 14 hits to accumulate a batting average of .333.

Erica Bednarski (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) came back with a batting average of .429 which included nine runs, 12 hits, and four RBI’s. The Thunder had five homeruns hit with TSU seniors Stensland, Hooker, and Leslie Schudel (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis), junior Kara Graham (Climax, Mich./Climax-Scotts), and freshman Katey Schiering (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor) each contributing with one.

Kristen Barron (Temperance, Mich./Clinton) led the pitching staff with a 0.00 ERA and a record of 2-0.  Barron gave up only four hits, three runs, 0 walks, and eight strikeouts. Amber Matthews (Corunna, Mich./Corunna) finished the week with a 4-0 record, an ERA 1.00 and 28 strikeouts.  Elise English (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) picked up a win for TSU with a 1.27 ERA. Lauren Hudson (Lafayette, Ind./Harrison) ended the spring trip with a record of 2-1 and a 2.76 ERA.