Jackets Softball Tops Mount with Sunday Sweep

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Defiance College softball team held on for a tight 6-5 win in the first game of its doubleheader with the Mount St. Joseph Lions and then cruised to 8-0 victory in the second. The sweep improves the Yellow Jackets record to 11-13 (4-6 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference), while MSJ falls to 4-18 (1-7 HCAC).

In the first tilt of the afternoon, it was a back and forth battle between the two conference foes. However, senior left field Katie Miller's (Archbold, OH / HS) performance at the plate would be the key to DC's victory.

In the top of the first, Miller got the scoring started with a solo shot that put the Purple and Gold up 1-0. The lead would not last long as the Lions evened things up at one in the bottom half of the inning.

Then in the third inning, the Archbold native was back at it again. Miller swatted a two-run bomb for her second-straight homerun that put Defiance back on top 3-1. Also scoring on the blast was Macy Ferrall (St. Marys, OH / Memorial) who had reached on a single in the at-bat just before.

The Yellow Jackets then extended their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth frame. Defiance used a pair of RBI singles from pinch hitter Gloria Basinger (Bluffton, OH / Cory-Rawson) and second baseman Maggie Neanen (Eaton, OH / HS).

Once again, MSJ responded with offense of their own by cutting back into the DC advantage with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score to 5-3.

After a scoreless sixth, the Jackets came up to the dish in the top of the seventh and used some wild pitches from Mount to notch a crucial insurance run. Neanen got the inning started with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. After an infield fly made it two outs, the Lions walked the hot-hitting Miller.

At the time, the move probably seemed like a good decision. Unfortunately for the home team, the pitcher then plunked Katie Patchin (West Farmington, OH / Bristol Local) to load the bases and tossed another wild pitch to bring Neanen across home plate for a 6-3 lead.

The score would end up being the game winner in the contest. MSJ mounted a comeback with two runs in its last at-bat but could not score the tying run, as sophomore Lauren Dicke (Lima, OH / Lima Shawnee) came on in relief to close the door on the Lions for her first save of the year.

Getting the win for the Jackets was freshman Alli Rowland (Westerville, OH / Westerville North), as she improved her season record to an even 4-4. The ace finished the game with 6.1 innings of work, surrendering five runs (three earned) and one strikeout

At the plate, Miller was a perfect 3-for-3 with her two home runs, three runs batted in and a pair of scores. Neanen also had a solid game by going 2-for-4 with one run and an RBI.

In the second game of the HCAC doubleheader, Defiance got the best of MSJ, as it dominated both in the field and at the plate.

The offense continued to churn out runs, as the Jackets put up a four spot in the top of the first inning. Neanen and Ferrall led off the frame with back-to-back singles and Patchin was hit by a pitch for the second time on the day to fill the bases. Junior Kailea Holbrook (Defiance, OH / HS) then clocked a two-run single to give DC the lead.

The Purple and Gold were not done though, as it used an RBI groundout by Brittany Shough (DeGraff, OH / Riverside) and RBI single from Anna Vasquez (West Unity, OH / Hilltop) to extend the advantage to 4-0.

That would be more than enough run support for Dicke who got the start on the hill for game two. The Lima Shawnee High product was lights out in the matchup, as she contained the Lions offense to only four hits over five shutout innings with three punch-out's.

Defiance would score two more runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings that were led by RBI singles from Holbrook and Ferrall. With the Jackets up 8-0, the run-rule would go into effect after Dicke tossed a scoreless fifth frame that would seal the victory. The sophomore pitcher improved her season record to 2-5 with the win.

At the dish, DC was paced by solid outings from Ferrall (3-for-4, two runs), Holbrook (2-for-3, three RBI), Vasquez (2-for-2, one run and an RBI) and Neanen (2-for-4, one run).

The Yellow Jacket softball team will be on the road Thursday, April 18, for its next contests against the Denison University Big Red. Action for the doubleheader will begin at 3:30 p.m.