Craft and Mallett have big days in DC’s split against Earlham

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Anika Craft and Payton Mallett both had big days Wednesday afternoon at Sal Hench Field against Earlham as the Yellow Jackets split a doubleheader against the Quakers. Craft pitched a complete game shutout in game two and Mallett with three hits including a grand slam and five runs batted in. The slam for Mallett is the freshman's second home run of the year and first career grand slam.

Both teams remain at .500 in HCAC play with Earlham being 5-5 and the Yellow Jackets 4-4. Earlham is now 10-16 overall and Defiance is 9-18 overall.

Game one - Earlham 7, Defiance 6

Two walks and an error would set up the Yellow Jackets in the bottom of the first as DC loaded the bases with one out but could only push one run across. The lone run was Natalee Cooper being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that brought in Laney Grimwood to give DC a 1-0 lead. The Quakers scored two unearned runs in the second inning to take a 2-1 lead. 

DC tied the game at two in third with a bloop two-out single by Ali Mowen that allowed Payton Mallett to score all the way from first. Both offenses could not get much going in the fourth and fifth innings.

The sixth inning was an offensive explosion for both as the Quakers plated three and all three came with two outs. Savanah Bergman provided a spark off the bench with a lead off single in the bottom of the inning for the Yellow Jackets and that would start a rally as Anika Craft and Grimwood followed with singles to load the bases with no outs. After Brooke Silcox went down swinging, Payton Mallett stepped up and crushed a grand slam to left field to give the Yellow Jackets the lead at 6-5. 

The Yellow Jackets led 6-5 going into the seventh inning and seemed to have all the momentum. That didn't matter to Earlham, however, as the first three reached base in the final inning to load the bases with nobody out. The Quakers tied it with a sac fly and later took the lead on a bloop single down the left field line that fell into no man's land. Grimwood reached on an error with two outs and Craft flew out to end the game as the Quakers stole game one.

Savannah McCoy struck out two in 5.2 innings and allowed five runs with just two being earned. Emma Rodgers (0-3) was credited with the loss in 0.1 innings and allowed two earned runs. Both runs allowed were the first two batters to reach for Earlham to start the seventh inning. Riley Alcorn pitched 1.0 innings and allowed two hits. Grimwood and Mallett each had two hits.

Game two - Defiance 5, Earlham 0

Both offenses were held without a hit in the first two innings and DC's offense was held hitless for the first four innings. Earlham threatened to score in the third inning as they loaded the bases with one out but Anika Craft escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. 

DC's first hit of the game was a leadoff single in the fifth by Savannah McCoy and that was when the hitting party began. Anna Emswiler sacrificed McCoy to second and Savanah Bergman and Laney Grimwood followed with base hits. Leading 2-0, Brooke Silcox had a two-out RBI single and Payton Mallett followed with a two-out RBI double to make it a 4-0 game. The Yellow Jackets added one more in the fifth when McCoy scored on an RBI single by Bergman.

Three of Earlham's four hits in the game came in the third inning when they were unable to score as Anika Craft carved up their lineup and shut down the Quakers offense.

Craft (5-3) earned the win on the mound with the complete game performance and struck out nine. McCoy and Bergman had two hits each. 

Up Next

The Yellow Jackets travel to Anderson for another HCAC matchup on Wednesday, April 17. Game one is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.