Purple and Gold's Rally Leads to Sweep in Twin Bill With Manchester

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Defiance College softball team traveled to Spartan territory this afternoon where they swept Manchester University in HCAC doubleheader action. The Purple and Gold claimed game one 4-3 followed by an extra innings 6-3 victory in game two.

Gostomsky opened up the scoring in game one after ripping a double down the left field line to lead off in the second inning. With two away, Patty dug in to smack an RBI double right back up the middle, scoring Gostomsky to give DC the 1-0 advantage.

Later that inning, Manchester took advantage of a passed ball to tie it up at one apiece.

The Spartans would surrender a walk with bases loaded in the top of the sixth, allowing Libby Leach to take a base granting Gostomsky a second run in the contest. With bases still loaded, Arianna Richards drilled a bomb to center field, scoring another pair of runs from Ely King and Haley Patty which extended the Purple and Gold lead to 4-1.

On the 1-0 count in the bottom of seventh with no outs, the Spartans lifted a two-run homer over the fence, closing the gap to just one as Defiance continued to lead 4-3. The DC defense would hold strong, ending the inning with a pair of pop-ups and a strikeout to narrowly edge MU 4-3.

In game two, the Spartans gained momentum early, claiming the first run of the contest on a RBI single to center field. MU continued to gain traction, tallying a pair of runs on a two-run bullet down the left field line to go up 3-0 after one inning.

The Yellow Jackets responded with a run of their own in the top of the second as Jackie Hartman doubled to center field to bring around Mariah Huff who reached on a walk.

Emma Perry would drive home a second run in the third inning, scoring Jordan Osborne to bring DC within one. In the top of the fifth, the Purple and Gold equalized after Perry again singled to deep center field, sending Michela Bauer home.

After seven frames, the score was deadlocked at an even three runs apiece and the game would be forced into extra innings. With Hartman placed on third, Patty executed a textbook bunt, advancing Hartman to third while getting on base herself to bring Osborne up to the plate. Osborne, showing collected poise in the at-bat, drove a triple to center field, bringing both the winning and insurance runs across the plate. She would also step on home later as Bauer slapped an RBI to the shortstop, increasing the Defiance lead to 6-3. Manchester would not have an answer for DC in the bottom of the eighth, sealing the Purple and Gold victory.

Defiance is back in action on Saturday, April 14, hosting HCAC rival Transylvania University in a doubleheader starting at 1:00 PM.