Yellow Jackets End the Season in Dramatic Fashion

DEFIANCE, Ohio – With two outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tasha Stucke ripped a walk-off double to the right field wall, giving the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 victory over Manchester College, and their seventh-straight season to finish with at least a .500 overall record.

The team played inspired softball in Aarika Davis' last collegiate contest, in which she tied DC's Cheryl Billow as the all-time walks leader in the history of Defiance College softball. Davis, a four-year starter at third base for the Jackets, also leaves the team ranked second all-time in assists and at bats.

Manchester's ace, Kristi Brown, got the best of the Jackets in the first game, allowing just six hits and one run as the Spartans took the 8-1 victory. However, the Yellow Jackets responded in game two with an extra-innings victory that saw Shauna Bowers pitch nine innings, allowing just one earned run.

The Spartans struck first in the game, as Amy Hommema homered in the top of the fourth to give Manchester the 1-0 lead. Defiance would answer in the bottom of the inning, tying the game, 1-1, when Mallory Faling led off with a double to left center field and later came in to score on a throwing error by the first baseman.

With the game knotted up, 1-1, at the end of regulation, the extra-innings rules went into effect, with each team placing a runner on second base to start the inning. Hommema singled in the top of the eighth to put Manchester ahead, 2-1, but Faling ripped a single down the right field line in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, 2-2, going into the ninth.

Manchester plated another run in the top of the ninth, putting the pressure back on Defiance. Katelyn Samples responded by ripping her season-high third hit of the game down the right field line, bringing in Caitlin Rudden to score. One batter later, Stucke stepped up to the plate and belted a shot to right field, bringing in Samples to score and giving Defiance the 4-3 victory.

The Jackets end the season with an 18-18 overall record, and a 7-9 mark in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.