Trevecca's Record-Setting Doubleheader
March 31, 2006
By GREG RUFF, TNU Sports Information (Edited by Dawn Harmon, NAIA)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - No. 13-ranked Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) (27-6) returned home to take on Bethel College (Tenn.) (12-10) March 30 and came away with 4-1 and 12-8 victories and a national record. The Trojans hit three home runs and tied Texas Wesleyan University for the NAIA record for home runs in a season. Both teams have hit 48 home runs so far this season.
Texas Wesleyan originally broke the record, 45 set by Oregon Tech in 2002, on March 23. Since that date, TWU has recorded two more dingers. The 48th for Trevecca was a grandslam by Jennifer Perkins for a 12-8 win in the nightcap.
Ten different Trojans have hit homeruns this season in TNU's offensive explosion. Trevecca's previous best was 22 HR's during the 2003 season. The team hit 21 last season.
Brittiany Johnson set a school record in the first game, striking out 11 batters for a season total of 193. The previous school mark of 191 was set by Charli Duff in 2004. Johnson threw six and two thirds innings, allowing just three hits for the 4-1 victory.
The second game proved much closer as Bethel jumped out with three runs in the first two innings. Trevecca answered with four runs in the fourth. The Trojans then added three in the fifth with one run coming off the bat of Johnson with her 12th home run of the season.
The Wildcats answered in the top of the seventh with a Jessica Green grand slam, giving Bethel a 8-7 lead. Trevecca sent the game to extra innings with Jennifer Perkins RBI single (Chelsea Bailey scored).
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Trojans put together a string of hits to load the bases when Perkins ended the game with a walk-off grand slam, giving Trevecca the 12-8 victory. Perkins finished the game 5-for-5 with seven RBIs.
