PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. --- The Trojan softball team opened up Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play on Saturday morning as they visited the Trinity Christian Trolls at the Shaaf Athletic Complex. Riding a three-game winning streak and coming off a pair of wins at Viterbo last weekend, TIU looked to open up league play on a positive note.

Hailey Baker got the start in game one and showed good control over her pitches, allowing just two hits in a complete game effort. The Trolls would strike first as Alyssa Martin drove in Jolie Robertson for the first run of the game in the bottom of the third. 

After six scoreless innings by the Trojans, TIU scored twice in the top of the seventh as Madison Lenzke singled to center field, scoring Dana Percival and Britney Knox. Gina Loy would add on two more runs in the very next at bat, doubling to right-center to score Lenzke and Kayla Stacy. TIU's defense would retire TCC in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 4-1 win.

Alyssa Frey would take to the mound in game two, looking for her second consecutive win of the year. After the Trolls scored in the first inning, Lenzke drove home Brooke Heraty from third on a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at one, before Heather Anderson crossed home plate on a passed ball. Heraty made it a 3-1 Trojan lead in the third with an RBI double to center to bring home Percival after a two out error.

Trinity Christian pulled within one run in the bottom of the third, and tied the game at three in the sixth on an RBI single by Sydni Mitchell. After a 103 pitch outting in game one, Baker returned in a reliever role in the sixth, holding the Trolls hitless for the final four outs. Kristin Storer would drive home Loy as the winning run on a single to right field in the top of the seventh, while Knox also sent a single to right to bring Storer across home plate, and nail down the 5-3 win.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• With Saturday's sweep of the Trolls, TIU improves their all-time record against Trinity Christian to 15-20. 

• The Trojan's sweep of TCC marks their fourth and fifth consecutive wins against the Trolls. TIU's last loss against Trinity Christian came on Apr. 8, 2017 in an eight inning loss in Wheeling, 8-6.

• TIU has now won five consecutive games, their longest winning streak since late April/early May of 2018 when they won six in a row.

• With her two wins pitching today, Hailey Baker improves her record to 5-3 on the season.

• Game one marked the fifth game this season Baker has not allowed a run while pitching.

• TIU recorded five extra base hits in the doubleheader, while the Trolls were held to nine singles in the two games.

• Gina Loy's triple in game one was TIU's first of the season, and first of Loy's career.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (7-7) return to the diamond on Thursday, April 1 as they visit the Clarke University Pride for a non-conference doubleheader in Dubuque, Iowa. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00pm CT at Veterans Park, and can be watched LIVE on the Clarke Sports Network.

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Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.