Softball falls to MSJ in two close games, 4-2 and 3-2

Cincinnati, Ohio - The Defiance College softball team dropped two tough decisions to Mount St. Joseph University Saturday afternoon, 4-2 and 3-2. MSJ improves to 29-11 overall and 14-2 in the HCAC. Defiance drops to 16-20 overall and 7-7 in the HCAC.

Game 1

MSJ 4, Defiance 2

The Lions would draw three first inning walks off Defiance starter Savannah McCoy (L, 6-9) and take a 1-0 lead on a groundout. The Lions would then knock out McCoy in the second inning when Kaci Finchum smacked an RBI double. 

MSJ would make it 3-0 in the fourth with another RBI double. The Yellow Jackets would finally get on the board in the sixth on a two-run double by Josilyn Guzman that scored Ali Mowen and Brooke Silcox. Silcox had drawn a walk and Mowen single prior to Guzman's at bat.

After getting within one, the Lions answered with one run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-2. Lily Linke, Laney Grimwood, and Amber Krause were retired in order to end the game.

McCoy pitched 1.0 innings, walked four, allowed two earned runs and struck out one. Riley Alcorn relieved McCoy and pitched the final 5.0 innings, allowed two earned runs, walked three, and struck out two.

Silcox, Mowen, Guzman, and Krause had one hit each and Silcox drew the only walk of the game. 

Casey Kemp (W, 16-4) threw a complete game for MSJ and struck out 12. 

Game 2

MSJ 3, Defiance 2 (F/8)

Just like game one, this one was also a tight contest and needed more than seven innings to determine a winner.

The Lions would take advantage of an error by Defiance starting pitcher Anika Craft to take a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning and would tack on one more in the sixth inning to take a 2-0 lead going into the final inning. 

Savanah Bergman would lead off the inning with a pinch hit double. Anna Emswiler pinch hit for Laney Grimwood and flew out. Amber Krause then stepped up and came through with a clutch, game-tying two-run home run. The Yellow Jackets would not get another run on base in the inning as Craft and Marissa Roberts were retired to end the inning.

Craft would have to work around some trouble in the seventh but managed to get out of it and force extra innings.

Brooke Silcox sacrificed Marissa Roberts to third base putting Roberts in scoring position with one out. However, Casey Kemp (W, 17-4) came in to save the day for the Lions as she struck out both Ali Mowen and Josilyn Guzman to end the Jackets' rally.

The Lions would win it in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single by Casey Kemp.

Craft drops to 9-8 on the season with the loss. She went 7.1 innings, allowed two earned runs, walked four, and struck out five. Craft also finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate and Krause had the one big hit and both RBIs. 

The Yellow Jackets close out the regular season tomorrow at home against Franklin for senior day. Game one is set for 1 p.m.