Historic softball season comes to an end at HCAC Tournament

The third-seeded Defiance softball team saw their 2022 season come to an end late on Thursday night with a loss to number four seed Franklin in the HCAC Tournament. Defiance faced Franklin in an elimination game after dropping their opener to Mount St. Joseph by a score of 3-1.

Game One vs. Mount St. Joseph

The Basics

• Records: #3 Defiance (21-14), #2 Mount St. Joseph (29-9)
• Location: Hall Field - Lexington, Ky

Inside The Numbers

• Junior Marissa Roberts and freshman Destiny Coil each doubled in the game.
• Sophomore Brooke Silcox also had a hit.
• Senior Taylor Biggs took the loss for the Yellow Jackets.
• Rachel Gabbard went 3-3 for the Lions while Kelsi Stevenson had two hits.
• Kamryn McCool struck out eight while allowing three hits and a run to earn the win.

The Difference

• The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off an RBI single by Gabbard.
• Mount St. Joseph scored two more in the third off of three hits and a bases-loaded walk.
• Coil cut the lead to 3-1 with an RBI double to left field in the top of the fourth.
• Gabbard and the Lions were able to hold on to the 3-1 lead and closed out the game to advance in the tournament.
• MSJ outhit DC 8-3.
• Defiance drew just one walk.

Game Two vs. Franklin

The Basics

• Records: #3 Defiance (21-15), #4 Franklin (21-18)
• Location: Hall Field - Lexington, Ky

Inside The Numbers

• Roberts led Defiance with two hits including a triple.
• Senior Kalin Hubble also had a hit and drove in a run.
• Freshman Anika Craft took the loss.
• Sydney Bostic led Franklin at the plate with two hits, three runs, and three RBIs.
• Molly Wallace also drove in three runs.
• Stephanni Kleber was the winning pitcher for Franklin.

The Difference

• Franklin scored 10 runs off five hits in the top of the first.
• The Grizzlies added three runs in the second as well.
• Roberts tripled to left field and scored on a throwing error to give Defiance their first run.
• Franklin added three more runs in the fifth.
• Hubble drove in Silcox with a single to center field in the bottom of the fifth.
• Franklin outhit Defiance 9-3 and committed three errors to Defiance's one.
• Franklin drew 10 walks in the game.

Records and Notables

• Roberts set a new program record for hits in a season with 60 beating her own record of 58 set last season. Hubble also beat the old record and fished the season with 59 hits.
• Silcox finished the season with 53 hits which put her into a tie for the 10th most in a single season in program history.
• Silcox broke the team's single-season runs scored record with 40. The record of 38 was set by both Cheryl Billow and Tracy Hanson in 1985. Hubble scored 36 runs this season which ties her to 10th.
• Roberts (21), Silcox (20), and Hubble (17) all surpassed the record for doubles in a season that was set by Hubble last season with 15. 
• The Yellow Jackets set a new team record for doubles in a season with 90 smashing the record of 72 set by the 2007 team.
• The Defiance pitching staff also set a team record for strikeouts in a season with 186. The 2001 team previously held the record with 173. Biggs struck out 85 while Craft struck out t76. Sophomores Riley Alcorn and Savannah McCoy added 15 and 10 k's respectively.
• Hubble concludes her career with the second-highest batting average (.423) and the second-most hits (176) in program history. She is also the program leader in homers (29), doubles (44), runs (121), and RBIs (124).
• Hubble tied for the fifth-most home runs (eight) and RBIs (37) in a season.
• Roberts tied for the 10th most triples in a season with three.
• Senior Sophie Moller tied for the 10th most walks in a season with 20.
• Senior Hali Geraci concluded the season with 15 stolen bases which is the third-most in a season win program history. Geraci finishes her career with the second-most stolen bases in program history with 28. She also ranks ninth in career assists with 296.
• The Yellow Jacket lineup also had top-five seasons in program history in batting average (.333), hits (342), home runs (23), and RBIs (198).