Miller Delivers Late-Game Heroics in Softball Split

FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Defiance College softball team finished off its weekend Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference road trip with a doubleheader at Franklin College on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets dropped game one by a score of 8-4 but rallied back to grab the second game 5-4.

In the first game of the day, the Jackets got going early and put the pressure on Franklin in the top of the first. Senior Aubrie Ridinger led off the game with a single and was able to score two batters later on a double from off the bat of junior Katie Miller to give Defiance a 1-0 lead.

Franklin quickly responded with two runs of its own to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first and then tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 3-1.

In the top of the sixth inning Miller led off the top of the sixth with a homerun to draw the Jackets within one. After Macy Ferrall and Elizabeth Huffman singles to set the table, Defiance received back-to-back hits from Sara Ankeney and Katelyn Samples to come back and grab a 4-3 lead.

Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, the lead was short-lived. Franklin rallied in the bottom half of the sixth and put up five runs in the inning and went on to win by a score of 8-4.

After such a tough defeat, Defiance showed its grit by once again grabbing an early lead in game two. The Jackets loaded the bases with only one out when Ankeney provided another timely hit. The freshman catcher hit a base-clearing double to give DC a 3-0 lead.

As in game one, Franklin fought back and was able score a run in the second, third and fourth inning to knot the game back up at 3-3.

After a scoreless fifth and sixth inning the stage was set for a dramatic finish. With Ridinger on first and two out, Miller stepped up to the plate needing to make something happen for the Yellow Jackets. The junior once again put a charge into the ball as she crushed her second homerun of the day giving Defiance a 5-3 lead. The Purple and Gold were able to hold on in the bottom of the stanza to win by a final score of 5-4.

On the afternoon, Miller was 4-7 at the plate with two homeruns, two doubles, four runs batted in and three runs scored. The junior now has three homers in her last four games, while batting in seven runs in that same span.

With the split, DC moves to 4-4 in HCAC play and have won three of its last four games. The Jackets return home for a HCAC doubleheader against rival Bluffton College on Tuesday. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.