Purple and Gold Place Three on Second-Team All-HCAC

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honored five DC softball members Wednesday, May 8 with its all-conference selections. Senior Katie Miller, juniors Macy Ferrall and Maggie Neanen, sophomore Brittany Shough and freshman Alli Rowland were all voted to the All-HCAC teams by the head coaches in the conference.

Earning Second-Team All-HCAC honors were Miller, Ferrall and Rowland. Miller headed the group, as the senior leader for the Yellow Jackets in the field and at the dish. This was her third time earning all-conference honors, as she has been a first-team member the previous two seasons. The Archbold High product finished the season first on the team with six home runs, 33 RBI, 63 total bases, 16 walks and a .573 slugging percentage. Miller is also tied for first in doubles with seven and tied for second in hits (36) and on-base percentage (.403). In HCAC standings, the senior's home run total was second best and she was tied for second in RBI's.

Miller's 2013 mark of six home runs is tied for the third-best single-season mark in DC history and it also puts her tied for second all-time in the Defiance softball record books with 15 career home runs.  The leftfielder also concluded her Jacket career knocking in the second most runs in program history with 96.

For the third baseman from St. Marys, Ohio, Ferrall notched her second all-conference accolade with the Second-Team All-HCAC selection. The honor is the highest yet in her career, after achieving honorable mention in 2012.  The junior was a top offensive weapon at the top of the order for the Yellow Jackets this season, leading the squad and the conference in runs (36) and in a first-place tie with seven doubles. Ferrall also added the second most runs batted in (19) and slugging percentage (.410), while being tied for second best in hits (36) total bases (48) and assists in the field (87).

The Memorial High product really excelled during HCAC play as well. Ferrall finished first on the team in runs, doubles, RBI and in a first-place tie for hits. She also was number two in total bases and third in both slugging and on-base percentage.

Wrapping up the Second-Team All-HCAC honors was Rowland for the first in her young career. The freshman pitcher was the ace of the staff for DC, leading the squad in nearly every pitching category. Rowland ended the season with the top mark on the team in earned run average (2.22), wins (eight), complete games (11), shutouts (two), innings pitched (113.1) and opposing batting average (.277). The Westerville North, Ohio, native's numbers were so impressive that she recorded top finishes in the conference as well. Rowland finished second in the HCAC in walks allowed, third in ERA, fourth in total innings and fifth in opposing batting average.

Earning her first conference honor was Neanen with an Honorable-Mention All-HCAC selection. The junior had a stellar season at second base for the Purple and Gold. Coming into the 2013 campaign, the Eaton High product had only accounted for a pair of hits in 20 at bats but exploded this season, as a full-time starter. Neanen accounted for the most hits on the team (45), the top batting average (.369), while also being first in on-base percentage (.408) stolen bases (six), and assists on the diamond (89). The second baseman also chipped in with the second-most scores (26) and was tied for second in total bases (48). Neanen's hit total of 45 was tied for the fourth most in the HCAC.

Finally, Shough wrapped up the conference awards by being named DC's selection for the All-Sportsmanship Team. The second-year player started every game in center field for Defiance and chalked up a .216 batting average on the season with 11 runs and seven RBI's. This was Shough's first HCAC honor.

The Defiance softball team concluded the 2013 campaign 16-22 (6-10 HCAC). Its win total was six more than what the squad had accounted for in the previous season.