DC Softball Splits in Doubleheader at Bluffton

BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Yellow Jackets picked up a 5-3 victory in game one of their doubleheader at Bluffton University on Wednesday, but dropped a 4-3 decision in the nightcap to fall back to .500 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 3-3 conference record.

Shauna Bowers pitched another gem for Defiance in game one, allowing just one earned run on seven hits to claim her sixth win of the season. Her six wins rank third in the conference this season, and match the career-high she set as a sophomore last season.

Defiance recorded the first run of the day in the second inning, when Elizabeth Huffman led off with a walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Kaycee Butt. Huffman took third base on a single to left field from Macy Ferrall, and came home to give DC a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout from Stephanie Esquibel.

The lead lasted until the bottom of the fourth, when Bluffton took advantage of a pair of Yellow Jacket errors to plate two runs. The Beavers threatened for more when Chelsea Osbourne launched a shot to center field with three runners on, but Marah Robinson made the play to retire the side and leave three runners stranded.  

Bluffton returned the favor with a pair of errors in the top of the fifth, and Defiance took advantage, posting three runs on two hits to claim a 4-2 advantage after five. The lead was reduced to one run in the bottom of the sixth, when BU's Meagan Price launched a solo shot over the left field fence, but DC tacked on another run in the top of the seventh and held Bluffton scoreless in the bottom of the frame to complete the victory.

Tasha Stucke led off game two with a walk for Defiance, and came in to score on an RBI shot to left field from Robinson to give DC an early 1-0 edge. The lead wouldn't last through the inning, however, as Bluffton started a two-out rally with back-to-back doubles and plated a pair of runs to put DC in a 2-1 hole.

The Beavers tacked on one run in each of the next two innings to extend their lead to three. Defiance responded with a pair of one-run innings in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, and had a runner in scoring position with one out in the top of the seventh, but BU's Stevie Cuttitta dug in to preserve the win for BU, dropping DC to 11-17 overall this season.

Defiance will return to action on Saturday, when it hosts a doubleheader with Hanover College (5-13; 1-3 HCAC), beginning at 1:00 p.m.