CEDARVILLE, Ohio – The (RV) Trevecca Nazarene University softball team (41-11, 23-3 Great Midwest) closed the weekend by finalizing their league-best sixth regular season title in a sweep of longtime conference rivals Cedarville University (22-29, 15-11 Great Midwest) at Lady Jacket Field on Saturday afternoon.
Trevecca owns a 31-7 record versus CU, the longest rival for the Trojans in the NCAA Division II era. The series has grown closer recently after the Trojans won 21 of the first 22 meetings. In 2017 and 2018, the Yellowjackets turned the series in their favor, winning five of seven meetings. Trevecca has won eight of the last nine.
HOW IT HAPPENED
GM 1: TNU 5, CU 0
The Trojans did most of their damage in the top of the first when the Yellow Jackets only two errors of the game cost the hosts three runs. Both teams settled in after the Trojans three-run first. Cedarville did not send a batter past second base all game while Trevecca scored a pair runs in the seventh. Technically with two outs, after Anna Bennett struck out but reached on a wild pitch, the Trojans scored runs on singles to the pitcher for the 5-0 win.
CIRCLE AND BOX NOTES
* Malone Thrift was 2-3 with a run scored.
* Ashlan Sensing went 2-4 with an RBI.
* Kyleigh Burgett was 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
* Ashlan Sensing improved to 21-6 with another complete game performance.
* Sensing pitched seven innings while throwing eight strikeouts in the shutout with five hits.
GM 2: TNU 6, CU 5 – F/8
Trevecca jumped out to a two-run lead in the first in game two and did not look back. Despite Cedarville's three-run homer to left field in the fourth, the Trojans rally to tie the game came in the fifth. Annabelle Ellis singled up the middle to score Kendall Andrews. With the game tied at 3-3 after seven complete, the Trojans added three runs in the eighth for the win. Maddie Poschke doubled to score two and break the tie while Kendall Andrews singled home the eventual winning run. Cedarville countered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but it was not enough.
CIRCLE AND BOX NOTES
* Annabelle Ellis was 2-4 with two RBIs.
* Maddie Poschke was 1-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
* Anna Bennett went 2-4 with a walk and a run scored.
* Halle Grace Patton (12-3) came on for three innings of relief to get the win. She struck out two and allowed just five hits in the win.
NEXT ON THE DIAMOND
The Trojans await their opponent in next week's Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament.
Trevecca locks up the number one seed in the league with its impressive 41-11, 23-3 regular season record. The Great Midwest tournament is being played Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, May 1-4.
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