Earlham holds off Yellow Jackets; DC softball season comes to an end

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Defiance College softball team found themselves trailing 7-0 after two innings this morning in an elimination game at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament. Despite a valiant comeback effort, the Yellow Jackets fell one run short, losing 7-6. 

The Yellow Jackets finish the year with an overall record of 14-25. Earlham improves to 15-25 overall and stays alive in the tournament. 

Earlham took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as a run scored on a passed ball. Ali Mowen and Anika Craft reached base to start the game to set up runners on first and second but the Yellow Jackets were held scoreless by Earlham pitcher Tatum Rickert. The Quakers scored six in the second to take a 7-0 lead. The scoring plays in the inning were two singles, two bases loaded walks, a fielder's choice, and a run scored on a passed ball. When the Quakers took a 3-0 lead, Riley Alcorn entered the game for Craft, faced three batters and did not record an out. Craft then reentered the game and after that second inning, held Earlham scoreless the rest of the way. 

The Yellow Jackets responded in a big way and scored four in the second inning to cut into the lead. Natalee Cooper started the rally with a one out single and Savannah McCoy followed with an RBI triple. Savanah Bergman drew a walk and Ali Mowen singled home McCoy. The other two runs in the inning were scored on errors by the Quakers. 

DC continued their momentum and scored two in the third inning to cut the deficit to one. Cooper led off the inning with a double and McCoy followed with an RBI single. Later in the inning with two outs, McCoy scored on a passed ball. Craft was able to keep the Quakers scoreless the rest of the game but had to work around traffic on the bases in every inning including working out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning.

Morgan Cooksey pitched the final 4.2 innings for Earlham and kept the Yellow Jackets scoreless. The Yellow Jackets were retired in order in the fifth and seventh inning. Their best scoring opportunity came in the sixth when Craft started the inning with an infield single. However, she was left stranded at first as Brooke Silcox, Payton Mallett, and Madison Guggenbiller were retired in order to end the threat. 

Craft was credited with 7.0 innings pitched and finishes the year with a 7-5 record after taking the loss today. She allowed five runs, four earned, walked seven and struck out five. Three of the walks came around to score in the game. Alcorn pitched 0.0 innings and walked two while surrendering one hit. She was charged with one two runs, both earned. 

Craft went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and walked once. Cooper and McCoy both finished with two hits and McCoy led the team in RBIs with two. 

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