Cougars outlast Yellow Jackets to win the day

HOWELL, Mich. - Defiance College faces second-straight Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference loss as the Cleary Cougars escaped the day with back-to-back wins at Lake Trust Stadium. 

In game one, the Cougars put together a 10-run seventh inning to take the victory, while game two turned into a 12-inning, nail-biting battle as Defiance and Cleary remained tied at one for eight innings. 

Game 1: Defiance 3, Cleary 10

Defiance (8-21, 1-6 WHAC) led the first contest 3-0 since the third inning, courtesy of a towering three-run homerun to center by first baseman Madison Guggenbiller. Starting pitcher Anika Craft held Cleary (10-16, 6-4 WHAC) scoreless through six strong innings, scattering four hits and striking out three.

The Cougars, however, staged a comeback at the top of the seventh inning with six hits and 10 runs. After two errors by second baseman Morgan Scott, a walk, three hits, a reach on a hit-by-pitch by Craft, and six runs, the Yellow Jackets brought in Sydney Fackler to pitch. Cleary persisted with four more runs, and ended the game with a defensive stop.  

Game 2: Defiance 1, Cleary 2 (12 innings)

For eight innings, the Yellow Jackets and Cougars were tied at one; Cleary struck first with an unearned run in the first inning, while Defiance evened the score with its own run from Kaylee Heath due to a Cougar error. 

At the top of the 12th – Madelynn Vickers now in her second inning on the mound; she took over for Devyn Hamilton – a single to left field batted in the runner on third to go up by a score on the Jackets. Defiance put the ball in play, but went three up, three down to fall after 12. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS  

• Madison Guggenbiller notched her second home run of the season in game one and went 2-of-3 in game one with 3 RBIs. 

• Kaylee Heath scored the sole run in the second game, unearned. 

• Emma Linn batted 50% in the doubleheader. 

• Heath, Linn and Avery Roever were the trio to have a hit in both contests. 

• 12 innings is the most the Jackets have played this season. Previously, DC played nine and lost against Webster in the Space Coast Spring Games.

• Anika Craft (6 IP) and Sydney Fackler (1 IP) pitched for Defiance in game one. Craft took the loss and is now 4-9 on the season. 

• Devyn Hamilton (10 IP) and Madelynn Vickers (2 IP) took the mound for game two. Vickers took the loss and is now 1-3 on the season.

UP NEXT

Indiana Tech will host Defiance in a Wednesday-evening doubleheader at Warrior Park in Fort Wayne, Ind. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m.

-JACKETS-