Yellow Jackets Rally in Night Cap to Earn Split

CLERMONT, FLA. - The Yellow Jackets rallied in the night cap with Penn State Hazleton erasing a three run deficit en route to the split on Wednesday afternoon at the Hancock Field Complex. 

Defiance (4-4 overall) dropped the opener to Eastern Nazarene 2-0.

In the night cap, the Yellow Jackets found themselves trailing early as Penn State Hazleton plated two runs in the top of the first inning and one in the fourth inning for the 3-0 advantage. 

However, Defiance rallied in the bottom half of the fourth inning as sophomore Emma Perry (Bowling Green/Otsego) led off the inning with a single to right field before senior Michaela Bauer (Hicksville) reached following a Penn State Hazleton miscue. Freshman Kalin Hubble (Anderson, Ind.) would provide the clutch hit as she singled to right field scoring the Yellow Jackets first run, 3-1.

The scoring frenzy continued as freshman Sophie Moller (Pikerington/North) delivered a shot up the middle that scored both Bauer and Hubble tying the contest at 3-3. Sophomore Taylor Biggs (Cincinnati/Oak Hills) would give Defiance its first lead of the contest on the next at bat, as the pitcher roped a ball to right center that scored Moller, 4-3. Senior Jordan Osborne (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) scored the final run of the inning as she singled to center field scoring Biggs, 5-3. 

Hazleton got one run back in the top of the sixth inning before the Yellow Jackets responded. Moller led off the inning with a single to right center before a pair of Penn State miscues scored another Purple and Gold run, 6-4. Sophomore Arianna Richards (Covington) deemed clutch as she placed a sacrifice bunt that scored sophomore Erin Breece (Hamler/Patrick Henry). DC scored the final run of the contest on the next at bat off a Penn State hiccup. 

Defiance finished the contest with eight runs on nine hits and six RBI.

The Yellow Jackets return to action tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. as they take on Wittenberg.