Defiance drops both against No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College's midweek doubleheader against No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan resulted in back-to-back losses for the Yellow Jackets in their first game at Sal Hench Field. 

The Wildcats took game one in five innings by a 13-2 decision. The tide turned in the second contest as the visiting team's four-run seventh inning earned them the victory. 

Game One

Wesleyan (21-3) came out bats swinging, coming up with 10 hits and 10 runs off of Taighen Zipfel and Emma Rodgers in the first inning. A ground out to Madison Guggenbiller became the third out for Defiance (7-15). The Wildcats slowed down, but one RBI in both the second and third innings lifted them up 12-0. 

A single from Kaylee Heath at the bottom of the third sent home Morgan Scott who then put the Yellow Jackets on the board. 

IWU added their final run of the game, unearned, in the fourth. 

Ali Mowen earned Defiance its final run of game one on a wild pitch with bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Anika Craft and Scott held spots on second and third until two-consecutive popups completed the game.   

Game Two

Starting at bat, Indiana Wesleyan got through just four batters with one hit as Craft took the mound. A foul out to catcher Anna Emswiler brought the Jackets up to the plate. 

As leadoff hitter, Mowen walked and then reached second on a sac bunt from Craft. Now with a pair of outs, a single from Scott sent Mowen two bases, reaching home for the first score of the game. At the bottom of the third inning, the identical sequence of Mowen leading off, walking and advancing on a Craft sac bunt, took place. Up next, though, Heath doubled resulting in a Mowen score. 

IWU brought a runner home at the top of the fifth, which was followed by a one-hit, two-run series from Defiance, scores courtesy of Craft and Heath. Wesleyan came back with one score in the sixth to make it 4-2, Yellow Jackets. 

In the seventh, after four hits, a fielder's-choice reach, a walk and five runs — the Wildcats now ahead by three — Defiance made a pitching change substituting Sydney Fackler in for Craft. IWU tacked on one more run to end the inning ahead by four and earned the stop at the bottom of the seventh to run away with the second win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS  

• Kaylee Heath notched RBIs in both games on the day. The junior now has nine on the season. 

• Ali Mowen led the team with three runs and .800 OB%.

• Heath (2), Mowen and Scott each hit doubles on the day. 

• Defensively, between both games, the Jackets got out of innings leaving 20 players on base compared to their own 15.

• In game one, Taighen Zipfel (0.2 IP) and Emma Rodgers (4.1 IP) took the mound. Zipfel took the loss and is now 2-2 on the season. 

• In game two, Anika Craft (6.1 IP) and Sydney Fackler (0.2 IP) pitched. Craft took the loss and is now 4-5 on the season.  

UP NEXT

The Jackets will open up their conference slate Saturday with a doubleheader against the Siena Heights Saints. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Sal Hench Field. 

-JACKETS-