Yellow Jacket offense leads softball to sweep Hanover

HANOVER, Ind. - The Defiance College softball team finished the weekend with a non-conference doubleheader at Hanover College on Sunday afternoon. Defiance posted their first win of the season with an 8-0 six-inning victory over the Panthers. The Yellow Jackets' offense continued in game two as they secured the sweep with another six-inning 9-0 win.

In game one, Defiance scored early and often as junior Kalin Hubble tallied an RBI sacrifice fly to right field that plated sophomore Marissa Roberts in the opening inning. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a Panther miscue in the second inning to plate another run to take an early 2-0 lead.

Defiance tallied a four-run fifth inning as Hali Geraci recorded a two-run single to bring Natalee Cooper and Roberts to the plate, making it a 4-0 ball game. The next at-bat, Hubble registered her second RBI of the game as she roped a double down the left-field line to score Geraci. The final run of the inning came by way of a single through the left side by Josilyn Guzman that extended the Yellow Jacket lead to 6-0.  

In the top of the sixth, Defiance rallied with two outs as Hubble registered her third RBI of the contest with a single through the left side. The next at-bat Sophie Moller recorded the final run of the game with a single to score Geraci to give the Yellow Jackets the 8-0 lead. Defiance secured the first victory of the season after defensively shutting down the Panthers in the bottom of the inning. 

Taylor Biggs claimed the shutout win for game one as she pitched 6.0 complete innings, allowing six hits, no runs, no walks while striking out three. 

The Purple and Gold carried the momentum into game two as Cooper drove in two runs in the second inning with a single to center field. Later that inning, Geraci saw continued success at the plate with a two-run double to right-center to give Defiance the 4-0 advantage. 

To lead off the fifth inning Geraci and Hubble registered a pair of singles to bring up Moller, who tallied a sacrifice fly to left field and extended the Yellow Jacket lead to 5-0. 

In the final inning, Roberts recorded an RBI single before Defiance increased their lead to 7-0 off of an error from Hanover. The Yellow Jackets scored the next at-bat, and Moller drove in the final run with an RBI single up the middle. 

Geraci went 3 for 4 in game two with a double, two RBIs, and two runs, while McKenzie Baker went 3 for 3 with a double and two runs.

Freshman Savannah McCoy recorded the shutout win for the Yellow Jackets pitching 6.0 innings, allowing five hits, two walks, and striking out two. 

With the sweep, Defiance now sits at 2-3-1 overall on the season. The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to be back in action on Thursday, March 18, to travel to Adrian College for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 4:00 pm.