Defiance and IU South Bend split day, Jackets secure game two in seventh-inning rally

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Defiance College hit the road for a doubleheader clash with Indiana South Bend on its Dick Pfeil Softball Field Tuesday evening. The Yellow Jackets and Titans split the day after a seventh-inning rally secured DC game two. 

The home team captured an 8-3 victory to start the matchup, but four purple and gold runs in the final inning of the second contest and a defensive shutout put Defiance on top 10-9. 

GAME ONE

In the bottom of this first inning, the Titans (6-18) started game one's scoring with a homerun off of DC (7-13) pitched Sydney Fackler. After four hits and two runs for Indiana South Bend – two outs on the board halfway through the bottom of the third – the Yellow Jackets brought in Devyn Hamilton at pitcher. Two additional RBIs and a pair of runs were secured on the board for the home team. 

The next two innings saw RBIs from Morgan Scott and Anika Craft; Scott brought in Craft with a double, while Craft singled to send Kaylee Heath home, cutting into the Titan lead by two. However, Indiana South Bend added three runs to its score in the bottom of the fourth as Madelynn Vicker took the mound , zero in the fifth, leaving an 8-2 Titan lead heading into the sixth. 

After a scoreless sixth, with two outs, Ali Mowen hit Defiance's first homer of the season to put another one on the scoreboard for the purple and gold. A flyout by Emma Linn ultimately earned the third out and completed game one. 

Defiance faced an 8-3 loss to Indiana South Bend in game one as the Titans put up seven runs between the third and fourth innings. The Yellow Jackets came back with runs from Anika Craft and Kaylee Heath, before Ali Mowen's first career home run ended the contest's scoring. 

GAME TWO

Game two began as Defiance loaded the bases at the top of the first with Kaylee up to bat. Heath singled, which advanced each runner, including bringing home a run from Anika, earning Heath the RBI. The Titans found two of their own in the bottom of the first – the inning was followed by a scoreless second from both. 

At the top of the third, first batters up, Madison Guggenbiller and Morgan Scott hit back-to-back homeruns off of Indiana South Bend's pitcher Abigail Yarnell, who was then changed out. Three outs ended the inning for Defiance, but a single from Yarnell at the bottom became a double RBI, making the score 4-3 Titans. Taighen Zipfel scored, unearned, at the top of the fourth when Mowen reached first base on an error by the third baseman. Madelynn Vickers and Heath scored in the fifth; Zipfel and Avery Roever each earned RBIs. 

With the Yellow Jackets in the lead, Indiana South Bend stormed back in the bottom of the sixth with five runs and five hits, now back on top 9-6. 

One inning left to win, Defiance rallied through its entire lineup to bring in four runs. Zipfel led off and reached first on an error, while Elizabeth Patrick pinch hit for Roever and reached a spot on first due to fielder's choice – Zipfel out at second. Mowen became the second out on a pop up just before three-consecutive doubles paved the way for runs from Roever, Craft and Guggenbiller. Up next, Heath's single advanced Scott to third who then crossed home plate on a wild pitch. The inning ended how it began with Zipfel up to bat, though she popped up to the pitcher, ending the Jackets' turn one score ahead. With Craft on the mound, she went three up, three down to secure the win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS  

• In game one, Ali Mowen hit Defiance's first homer of the season and the first of her collegiate softball career. Game two then featured homers from Madison Guggenbiller and Morgan Scott. 

• Anika Craft stood out on the plate with five hits, three runs and two RBIs on nine at-bats.

• In game two, Defiance batted 12 – eight players earning hits. 

• Six individuals notched RBIs on the day for the Yellow Jackets.

• Elizabeth Patrick pinch hit for Avery Roever, reaching first on the first fielder's choice of the game. 

• Sydney Fackler (2.2 IP), Devyn Hamilton (0.2 IP) and Madelynn Vickers (2.2 IP) each pitched for the Yellow Jackets in the first contest. The trio walked six batters and struck out three. Fackler ultimately took the loss and is now 0-3 on the season. 

• Taighen Zipfel (3 IP), Emma Rodgers (1.2 IP) and Anika Craft (1.2 IP) took the mound in game two. Anika Craft earned the win and is now 4-4 on the season. 

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets will return to the diamond on Tuesday for a doubleheader with Indiana Wesleyan. Rescheduled from Feb. 21, this contest will be the first on Defiance's Sal Hench Field. First pitch is set at 1 p.m. 

-JACKETS-