Softball Lands Four All-Conference Honors

GREENWOOD, IND. - Junior outfielder Jordan Osborne (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) earned First Team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball honors to pace the way for the Purple and Gold.

Freshman catcher Emma Perry (Bowling Green/Otsego) was named Second Team All-HCAC, while junior pitcher Rachel Wehrman (Fort Loramie/Minster) collected Honorable Mention honors. Senior Sarah Kaya (Lorain/Clearview) collected her third All-HCAC honor as she was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. 

Osborne appeared in all 37 games for the Yellow Jackets recording 54 hits on 131 at-bats for a .412 batting average. She concluded HCAC play with a .407 batting average, connecting for 22 hits with two doubles, two triples and seven RBI. The junior outfielder also finished the season with 52 putouts for a .948 fielding percentage. The All-Conference honor was the third of her career. 

Perry tallys her first All-Conference accolade appearing in all 37 games. The freshman finished HCAC play batting .365 with 19 hits, four doubles, 10 RBI and a homerun. Her season total 32 RBI ranked her among the best on the team and fifth among the Conference, while her .442 batting average also placed her among the top in the league. 

Wehrman made 19 total appearances for DC with 11 starts in the circle. The junior finished the season 5-6 overall, 4-3 HCAC with two saves and five complete games. She recorded 45 strikeouts through 91.1 innings of work for a 2.61 ERA. In HCAC action, Wehrman recorded eight starts, pitching five complete games with one shutout for a 2.38 ERA. The All-Conference honor was the first of her career.

Kaya appeared in 10 games for the Purple and Gold with eight starts. The senior pitcher posted a 3-3 overall record with 16 strikeouts. Her career 264 strikeouts ranks her fourth all-time in Defiance softball history, while her 31 wins and 416.0 innings pitched ranks her fifth all-time and her 2.68 ERA ranks her seventh.

DC finished the 2018 season making its second consecutive HCAC Tournament appearance with an overall record of 23-14, 10-6 HCAC.