Softball Ends Florida Trip With Pair of Losses

WINTER HAVEN, FLA.  --  The Defiance College softball team suffered a pair of losses against Marietta College and SUNY-Farmingdale in its final two games of its annual trip south and the Rebel Spring Games in Winter Haven, Fla.  The Yellow Jackets fell to Marietta, 3-0, and lost to SUNY-Farmingdale, 8-1.

Against Marietta, the Pioneers got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the second.  The inning was set up by a defensive error, one of four DC errors on the day, which the runner later advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a wild pitch.  Two innings later, Marietta extended the margin with a pair of runs on a two-RBI double.  The Yellow Jackets were unable to mount a comeback as DC tallied just one hit on the day and fell to the Pioneers by the final of 3-0.

Freshman Haley Patty (Bradford) recorded the only hit for DC and finished one-of-two overall.

Coming off of her first collegiate win yesterday, freshman pitcher Sydni Smith (Jackson, Mich./Lumen Christi) got the start against Marietta and pitched three-and-a-third innings, but was credited with the loss and is now 1-1 overall for the season.  She allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits.  Patty came on to finish the game and pitched two and two-third scoreless innings allowing no runs and no hits. 

In game two, Defiance took the early lead against the Rams, scoring a run on a defensive error.  Farmingdale then scored eight unanswered runs beginning with two runs in the top of the third inning.  The Rams then added four more runs in the fourth that included a bases clearing double with bases loaded, making the score 6-1.  Farmington added its final two runs in the seventh on a two-RBI double to put DC down, 8-1.  In the bottom of the frame, the Yellow Jackets had runners on second and third, but with two outs.  Before DC could plate either run, the Jackets hit into the game-ending third out resulting in the 8-1 loss.

DC tallied five hits by five different Yellow Jackets against the Rams.  Junior Megan Pleskovic (Strongsville) and senior Brittany Shough (DeGraff/Riverside) both finished one-of-two, while freshman Brianna Caldwell (Marion/Elgin) and junior Sandra Hubler (Berea) were both one-of-three.  Caldwell also scored the only run for DC.  Rounding out the hitters was junior Makayla McAvoy (Mt. Giead) who went one-of-four at the plate.

On the mound, freshman Sarah Kaya (Lorain/Clearview) started the game and went three and two-thirds innings giving up six runs, four earned, on six hits and struck out three batters.  She was also given the loss and drops to 0-3 overall.  Freshman Calli Bauer (Galion) pitched the final three-and-a-third innings allowing two runs on three hits and had a pair of strikeouts.

Defiance is scheduled to host Oberlin College on Sunday (Mar. 15) at Sal Hench Field in the home opener.  The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.