Jackets start conference action with win over Cleary

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance Yellow Jackets opened the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference softball slate with a 10-7 win over the Cleary Cougars before losing on a walk-off in the second contest 6-5 at Sal Hench Field on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets (6-12, 1-1 WHAC) were marked as visiting team on the scoreboard due to last season's site change in which DC was the home team on Cleary's home field. The win in the opener was the first time since joining the WHAC that DC began conference play 1-0, and that win snapped a 4-game losing streak to close their Florida trip last week. Kaylee Heath was DC's top hitter in the twin bill with 4 hits and scored 4 times while Madelyn Hopper doubled twice and drove in 4 RBIs. Morgan Scott also had a team-high 4 RBIs for the day and was among a quartet of players who enjoyed a 3-hit day at the plate along with Hopper, Allison Stinson and Paige Stewart. 

Game 1 - Defiance 10, Cleary 7
After surrendering a run in the bottom of the first, Defiance posted 7 runs in the second and third innings to take command of the ballgame. Ciara Blankenship tied the game with a bases-loaded walk before Morgan Scott slugged a 2-run single to put DC in the lead. In the third, Madelyn Hopper helped her own cause on the mound with a 2-run double followed by a bases-loaded walk by Ali Mowen, who also brought around a run during the second. After Cleary tagged Hopper for 4 runs in the third, Taighen Zipfel took over in the circle and worked out of trouble. DC went on to get 3 of those runs back over the following 2 innings with a Zipfel RBI double and a 2-run homer by Allison Stinson in the fifth to push DC's lead to 10-5. The Cougars rallied with 2 outs in the seventh with a pair of RBI extra-base hits, but Zipfel locked down the final out and earned the winning decision after 5 innings of relief.

Game 2 - Cleary 6, Defiance 5
The second game saw the two sides exchange 2-run innings through the first 6 frames, sending the contest into the 7th tied 4-4. Hopper doubled home a pair for Defiance in the second while Scott had a 2-run double of her own in the fourth to give DC a 4-2 lead. The Cougars scored twice in the third and sixth innings while Yellow Jacket starter Devyn Hamilton turned in a strong effort, going 5.1 innings with 4 runs allowed and working around 3 walks. The Yellow Jackets grabbed the lead with 2 outs in the top of the seventh when Avery Roever singled in Elaine Holtom. The bottom of the inning had plenty of drama. Starting with a dropped fly ball to put the tying run at second, Cleary tied the game with a single and went on to load the bases with no outs. Defiance turned to Zipfel for her second pitching appearance of the day, and she induced a fly ball out to right that turned into a double play when Cleary's runner at third left early trying to tag up and score. Confusion broke out following the play as DC's defense cleared the field to set up a potential eighth inning, but the umpires clarified the play was for just 2 outs and Cleary continued to bat. Three pitches later, the Cougars sent a single up the middle to plate the winning run.

UP NEXT
Defiance returns to action against the Lourdes Gray Wolves on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch at Sal Hench Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.

-JACKETS-