Trine athletics photo

Trine defeated Virginia Wesleyan to secure the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball championship, the second national title in program history, both of them in the past three seasons. The Thunder led the series, one game to nothing, but trailed entering the top of the sixth in Game 2, before Emma Lee played hero with a three-run home run that secured the 3-1 victory.

"It was a great game," said head coach Donnie Danklefsen, "We knew it was going to be a battle and it was everything we expected. I kept thinking, we haven't been shut out all year and eventually someone is going to get one on us. But Space [Lee] came through for us!"

After receiving an impromptu day of rest due to rain, the two teams took the field today, Thursday, June 5 to determine the national championship. The Thunder needed just one victory after securing Game 1 of the series by the score of 8-1.

The rest allowed the team to comfortably send Alexis Michon back to the circle for the final time in her storied career. Despite a season's worth of toll to the pitching arm, Michon was once again nearly perfect in the contest, despite a rocky start.

Before she took the circle the team went to the plate, serving as the visiting team in the contest. Whitney Duell led off the game with a single down the left field line and then seemed to score on an error during the next at-bat, with Karley Trine laying a tough bunt that caused the throw. A review determined that there was interference on the play and the run came off the scoreboard.

Michon set down the first two batters before allowing a single down the right field line from the Marlins' Laci Campbell. The runner ultimately took off for second and drew a throwing error from the Thunder catcher, eventually reaching home despite a spectacular relay from Lee to Emma Beyer to Ainsley Phillips at home.

Both pitchers settled in after the strange first inning. Michon did so despite tweaking her leg during the third inning. She powered through and allowed just one more hit and two walks during the final six innings of the contest. Along the way she set down eight Marlins batters. The win is her 26th of the season and the 26th straight she has recorded since a loss to open the year.

Despite the lockdown pitching for Trine, the offense faced an uphill battle of their own. It took until the fifth inning for the team to threaten any runs of their own. With one out on the board, April Sellers didn't give up after a swinging strike three, beating the throw to first. She advanced to third on a single by Ainsley Phillips who reached second on the throw. Neither found their way home with the next two batters going down on foul balls.

The finals offensive leaders for the Thunder both came through for the team in the sixth inning. Debbie Hill reached base on a full-count walk followed by Macy Rocha singling through the middle and putting runners on first and second. It was then that Lee made her heroic at-bat. After a pair of balls she fouled a pitch down the left field line before straightening out the swing and going over the right center fence. The three-run bomb gave the team the 3-1 lead.

"This hasn't been my best week offensively, but my team and coaches have been telling me all week that I've got this," said Lee, "I was nervous, but I just kept taking deep breaths and thinking of those teammates."

In addition to the game winning homer, Lee made history in another way. During the contest she recorded her 33rd steal for the season without being caught once. It sets the program record for most steals with out a caught season in a season.

Virginia Wesleyan was not done yet; in the seventh inning, Samantha Deitsch hit a double to right-center, putting a runner in scoring position for the hot-hitting Olivia Knight. Knight fought hard in the at-bat but couldn't bring home Deitsch and the Marlins fell 3-1. Michon recorded the final out not with pitching but fielding a tricky groundball between her circle and the third base line.

"My team is the reason," said Michon while reflecting on what got her through this game, "Every inning when I go out I look at my teammates and I say this is the reason. No injury was going to keep me out of this game. I told myself I'm not coming out of this game."

"She's my pitcher and teammate of the year for sure," said Danklefsen. "I'm so proud of her."

Following the contest the NCAA announced the all-tournament team. Rocha and Hill earned spots on the team for their offensive and defensive efforts. Olivia Knight and Morgan Tucker were selected to the all-tournament team from Virginia Wesleyan. Michon was named the tournament's most outstanding player. 

"I'm just so proud of this team," explained Danklefsen. "It's just hitting me that we won it for the second time. It's a great moment for this team, but it's a little bittersweet as these seniors played their last game. I'm so proud of all of them, but man I'm going to miss them."

The Thunder finish the season with a 46-5 record, tying the program record for most wins, but doing it with one less loss than the 2023 national championship squad. Virginia Wesleyan, softball national champions in 2017, 2018 and 2021, finished 49-6-1 overall.