Softball earns a split with CWRU at home

DEFIANCE, Ohio- The Defiance College softball team finished the week with a doubleheader against Case Western Reserve University at the Sal Hench Field on Sunday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets came away with the split after dropping the first game, 6-1, before winning game two by a 5-2 score. 

The Spartans took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning and extended their lead with a four-run fifth inning to take a 6-0 advantage. Defiance did not go down without a fight as they manufactured a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the deficit sought too much for the Yellow Jackets as they took a 6-1 opening game loss. 

Taylor Biggs (1-6) pitched 4.1 innings in the circle for Defiance, allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits. Jennifer Kaffenbarger came in for relief in the fifth to pitch 2.2 innings surrendering two hits, one walk, and no runs. 

Sophie Moller registered the Yellow Jackets only hit in game one with a double to right-center late in the game, which led to a Defiance run. CWRU posted six runs on seven hits while stealing 12 total bases. 

In game two, Defiance struck early and often as Marissa Roberts led off with a single to right, and Kalin Hubble advanced her to second with a single up the middle. Moller laid down a sacrifice bunt to allow Jen Nashalsky to score Roberts with a sacrifice fly to left field to put DC up 1-0. 

The away side tied the game in the top of the third, but the Defiance answered back as Roberts and Hubble strung together a few hits to put the Purple and Gold back on top, 2-1. 

Opportunity struck again for DC in the bottom of the fifth inning as Moller singled through the right side with runners on first and second to load the bases for  Nashalsky to once again hit a sacrifice fly to left field to put Defiance up 3-1. 

Defiance added on insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as Hubble posted her third RBI of the game with a two-run single through the right side to give DC a 5-1 lead. CWRU posted a run in the top of the seventh, but the Yellow Jackets came out victorious by a 5-2 score. 

The home side tallied five runs on nine hits compared to the Spartan's two runs on six hits, respectively. 

Starting game two in the circle for Defiance was Savannah McCoy (2-1), who surrendered two runs, one earned off six hits. The freshman allowed two walks and stuck out seven before Riley Alcorn came in to finish out the game. 

The split puts Defiance at 3-8-1 overall on the season, and the Purple and Gold are scheduled to be back on Tuesday, March 23, for a non-conference doubleheader against Bluffton, slated to begin at 3:30 pm.