Rowland Hurls Complete Game Shutout in Split with Franklin

FRANKLIN, Ind. – The DC softball team was able to take one of two from the Franklin Grizzlies on Saturday, April 20. The Jackets were the home team in the two contests but were played at Franklin due to a water-logged Sal-Hench Field. Defiance won the first tilt 4-0, but fell in the second 8-2.

Freshman Alli Rowland (Westerville, OH / Westerville North) toed the mound in the first game of the doubleheader and brought her A-game. The first-year pitcher went the distance with seven innings of shutout ball. The Grizzlies could not get any read on Rowland, as she held them to only four hits. With the victory, Rowland evened out her season record to 5-5.

For the offense, the Purple and Gold got off to a quick start by scoring a run in the bottom of inning one. Junior Macy Ferrall (St. Marys, OH / Memorial) notched the first hit of the game with a single and freshman Katie Patchin (West Farmington, OH / Bristol Local) knocked Ferrall in with a single of her own two batters later.

Defiance then extended its lead with a three spot in the fourth frame. Senior Gloria Basinger (Bluffton, OH / Cory-Rawson) started the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI single. Then with the bases juiced, junior Maggie Neanen (Eaton, OH / HS) worked a walk to bring in another score. Finally, Ferrall came up next and notched her second base knock that made the lead 4-0 DC.

The four runs would be all that Rowland would need, as she did her part and on the mound and kept Franklin off the scoreboard for the game. Leading the Defiance at the dish were Ferrall and sophomore Brittany Shough (DeGraff, OH / Riverside), who each went 2-for-3 with a run.

In game two of the afternoon, the Jackets fortunes did not fare as well. The Grizzlies went up 3-0 in the first and rode that lead all the way till the sixth inning. DC could only muster up one hit through the first five frames before it put some scoring together.

Neanen and Ferrall led off the inning with back-to-back doubles that cut the Franklin advantage to only two runs. Then Defiance used a Grizzlies miscue in the field to bring Ferrall across the plate and made it 3-2 after six.

Unfortunately, Franklin exploded for five runs in the top half of the seventh inning to put the game away for the visitors playing at home. With the split in the series, the Purple and Gold softball team's season record moved to 12-16 (5-7 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference) and the Grizzles now sit at 13-23 (7-7 HCAC).

For the Yellow Jackets next contest, another schedule change has been made with the teams doubleheader against Manchester moved back to Tuesday. DC will now have tomorrow off and then return to play on Monday, April 22 when it travels to Adrian for a matchup with the Bulldogs. The games are slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.