DEFIANCE, Ohio—Defiance College head softball coach Kary Kankey has been named HCAC Coach of the Year for the second-straight year, while Kelsey Sugg was named Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year. Kelly VanderHorst, Chris Moreo, Alicia Allen and Sugg were all named to the all-conference team.

Kankey led the Yellow Jackets to a second place regular-season finish and guided the Jackets to their second-consecutive HCAC tournament championship. Defiance finished the regular season 27-15 and completed the conference year with an 11-3 record. Kankey and the Yellow Jackets have earned the automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament.

Sugg (Archbold, Ohio/Wauseon) was named Freshman of the Year after hitting .426 (20-for-47) with 13 RBI, seven runs, five doubles, and one home run in conference play. She hit .354 with 28 RBI, 11 runs, and nine doubles overall.

VanderHorst (Celina, Ohio/Celina) earned All-HCAC honors for the second time (2003). The senior catcher hit .337 on the season with eight doubles and one triple. Her play behind the plate was also impressive as she had a .997 fielding percentage and caught 8-of-15 would-be base stealers.

Moreo (Delphos, Ohio/Delphos Jefferson) was named All-HCAC for the third-consecutive year at short stop. The senior drove in a team-high 31 RBI and hit at a .359 clip. In the field she had 147 assists and a .927 fielding percentage.

Allen (Grafton, Ohio/Midview) was a force on the mound for the Jackets, earning her second year of inclusion on the All-HCAC team in her first two seasons at DC. The sophomore had an ERA of 1.92 in conference games and had a record of 7-1, while giving up just five walks to 181 batters faced.

The Jackets will play University of Pitt-Bradford in New Concord, Ohio (Muskingum College) on Friday at 11:00 a.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.