Yellow Jackets earn split with Manchester in HCAC road test

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Yellow Jacket softball team split a pair of HCAC contests at Manchester Wednesday night, winning the first game 9-2, but falling 6-3 in the second game.

In the first inning of game one, Defiance (4-11, 1-7 HCAC) took an early lead when Macy Ferrall drove in Emily Denhard with an RBI double to right center field. Ferrall would then advance on two wild pitches to score a run of her own.

The scoring was put to a halt until Manchester (6-14, 3-5 HCAC) tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. However, Kaliea Holbrook was able to pitch her way out of the remainder of the inning with no further damage.

Then Defiance's bats struck again, as the Yellow Jackets answered in the next inning for three more runs and a lead that it never relinquished.

Kali Campbell's double allowed her to pick up two RBIs when Ferrall and Maggie Neanen crossed home plate. After a Megan Warren single moved Campbell to third, Holbrook provided extra cushion for herself with a sacrifice fly to right field giving Defiance a 5-2 lead.

After holding Manchester scoreless in the fifth, DC invested in even more insurance in the top of the sixth. Campbell acquired her third RBI of the game with a single to center field while Warren followed with a single and two RBIs of her own. Brittany Shough wrapped up the scoring for the first game with an RBI single to left field.

Ferrall and Campbell each finished the game with two hits including a double and three RBIs.

Holbrook (1-2) threw a complete game while giving up no walks for her first victory of the season.

The Yellow Jackets began game two by mirroring the end of game one as they picked up three quick runs to open the game.

Campbell's sacrifice fly brought in Denhard for the first run of the game. Warren then had an RBI single, which scored Neanen. A few pitches later, Warren was able to plate another run on a wild pitch.

Despite the hot start, DC would not be able to add any more runs to their tally over the next six innings. The three run cushion proved insufficient for a midweek sweep.

Manchester quickly rebounded by scoring a couple runs of their own in the bottom half of the first to narrow DC's lead 3-2.

Lauren Dicke was able to recover briefly by holding the Spartans scoreless over the next three innings. However, the Spartans offense picked back up in the fifth when they took advantage of three DC errors and added four runs on four hits. The fifth inning finished with Defiance trailing 6-3.

The Yellow Jackets were unable to generate anymore offense, falling into a series split with Manchester.

Dicke (1-5) picked up her fifth loss of the season after giving up six runs, four earned, over four and one-third innings pitched. Holbrook entered game two in relief for the remainder of the contest.

The Yellow Jackets return to action for a double header against HCAC foe Mount St. Joseph on Saturday at Sal Hench Memorial Field. Game one is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.