Ravens Scrape Past Yellow Jackets with Pair of Road Victories

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Ravens of Anderson University defeated the Defiance Yellow Jacket softball team in both of its contests on Saturday, April 6 by scores of 2-0 and 8-6. Anderson improves to 12-8 (3-3 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference), while DC dropped to 9-13 (2-6 HCAC).

It was a rubber match between a pair of freshmen in the first game for the conference foes. The Jackets Alli Rowland (Westerville, OH / Westerville North) battled the Ravens Sami Frazier throughout all seven frames of the contest. Rowland tossed a strong complete-game outing, allowing only six hits, two runs (one earned) with two strikeouts.

Unfortunately, the Purple and Gold bats were stifled by the first year pitcher from Anderson. DC could only rack up a pair of hits in the game with one each from junior Maggie Neanen (Eaton, OH / HS) and senior Katie Miller (Archbold, OH / HS).

Anderson got to the DC pitcher with a run in each of the third and fourth innings and that would be all the visitors needed, as they held on for the 2-0 victory. Rowland's record falls to 3-4 on the season.

In game two of the doubleheader, things started shaky for DC, as it surrendered three runs in the first two innings. But in the bottom of the second, the Yellow Jacket offense that had been dormant all afternoon erupted for five runs.

The home team used back-to-back-to-back singles by Makayla McAvoy (Mt. Gilead, OH / HS), Kailea Holbrook (Defiance, OH / HS) and Brittany Shough (DeGraff, OH / Riverside) to get their first run on the board. Tori Plummer (Perrysburg, OH / HS) then reached on an error by the pitcher that loaded the bases for DC. Coach Holava then called up pinch-hitter Gloria Basinger (Bluffton, OH / Cory-Rawson), who came through with a single through the left side of the infield to score Holbrook. A Ravens wild pitch then moved all the runners a base, as Shough added a score. Finally, Defiance used a RBI groundout by Neanen and a sac fly by Macy Ferrall (St. Marys, OH / Memorial) to extend its advantage to 5-3 after two frames.

Anderson would respond however, as its offense continued to hit the DC pitching staff. The Ravens tacked on two in the top of the third and another run in the fourth inning to regain the lead at 6-5.

The Yellow Jackets then squared the score up at 6-6 with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Katie Patchin (West Farmington, OH / Bristol Local) got the inning going by taking one for the team, as she was hit by an Anderson pitch. She made her way to second on a groundout that was followed by a clutch single by Holbrook to bring her home.

But the Ravens would not go away. They smacked three singles and used a DC fielding miscue to go up 8-6 in the top of the seventh. The Jackets looked to have a rally started in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of singles to open up, but ran themselves out of it with a game-ending double play.

After putting up only two hits in the first game, the Jackets accounted for 10 base knocks in the second. Holbrook led the team at the plate with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore pitcher Lauren Dicke took the loss in the game. She finished with six innings of work allowing five runs (four earned).

DC will have a two day rest before it enters another stretch of three six games in four days. The team will open the span with a home doubleheader against the Manchester Spartans on Wednesday, April 10. Action is slated to kick off at 3:30 p.m.