Softball sweeps day one in the sunshine state

LEESBURG, Fla. - The Defiance College softball team opened up The Spring Games with a pair of wins, defeating Penn State Brandywine 4-1 and Simmons University 4-2. 

In game one, both sides were held scoreless until the sixth inning, when Penn State Brandywine scored first, but the Yellow Jackets quickly answered back. Makenzie Wilson (Haskins, Ohio / Otsego) led off the bottom of the sixth getting to first as she a bunt for a hit. Arianna Richards (Covington, Ohio / Covington) reached by a Nittany Lion miscue as she laid down a sacrifice bunt. With runners on first and second, Kalin Hubble (Anderson, Ind. / Anderson) reached first by another miscue to score Wilson. 

Jen Nashalsky (Galloway, Ohio / Hilliard Bradley) cleared the bases with a single up the middle to put Defiance up 3-1. Scoring the final run of the game was freshman Marissa Roberts (Warren, Ohio / LaBrae), who singled up the middle. 

Taylor Biggs (Cincinnati, Ohio / Oak Hills) got the start in the circle for the Yellow Jackets and pitched a complete game allowing only eight hits with six strikeouts.  

On the offensive end, Defiance was led by Nashalsky, who went 1 for 3 in game one with two RBI. Wilson also went 2 for 3 with two hits and one run. 

In game two, Defiance came from behind after Simmons jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Yellow Jackets answered back in the top of the third inning with a two-out rally as Hubble tripled down the right field line. Brooke Gostomsky (Covington, Ohio / Covington) followed her up with a double to left-center to tie the score at 2-2. 

Roberts led off the top of the fifth inning with a single down the right-field line, followed up by Richards who laid down a bunt for a hit, to put runners on first and second. Sophie Moller (Pickerington, Ohio / Pickerington North) came to the plate later that inning with bases loaded and ripped a ball down the third base line for a 2 RBI single, securing the 4-2 Yellow Jacket victory. 

Offensively Moller led the Purple and Gold in game two going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI. 

Sydney Zeuch (Mason, Ohio / Mount Notre Dame) got the start on the mound for the Yellow Jackets, throwing six complete innings allowing five hits while striking out five. Biggs gets the save throwing one inning with three strikeouts to end the game. 

With the sweep, Defiance sits at 3-3 overall. The Yellow Jackets will be active in action tomorrow morning as the face Wittenberg at 9:15 am and Marrietta at 1:30 pm.