March 9

DC Softball swept in '07 season opener
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

DANVILLE, Ky. -- The Defiance College Softball team found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard as the Jackets dropped its first two games of the season to Centre College by the score 4-5 and 6-7.

DC In the first game, Aarika Davis got the Jackets on the board first and scored the first run of the 2007 season for DC with a long ball in the top of the first to give Defiance a one-run advantage. Centre responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run to erase the deficit.

The lead only lasted an inning as Davis homered again in the top of the third, this time a two-run shot to put DC up 3-2. The Jackets added another run in the fourth on a Kayla Crager RBI groundout to extend the lead to four. However, the Colonels would fight back, trimming the lead to one in the bottom of the fourth, and finally tying the game in the bottom of the sixth.

After DC was unable to score in the top of the seventh, Centre came up with a chance to win the game. DC retired the first batter before allowing the next two to reach base. After Justine Johnston struck out the next Colonel, Rebecca Rhule gave Centre the win with a two-out RBI double to bring in the runner from second.

In the nightcap, Centre came out firing on all cylinders, scoring four runs in the first three innings. Although DC put its first score on the board in the top of the fourth off an RBI groundout by Danielle Shaner, the Colonels put up a three-spot in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead.

Things started to turn around for the Jackets in the later stages of the game. Monica Sigurdson sparked a two-run rally in the sixth with an RBI double. In the seventh, trailing by four, the Jacket offense came to life, as the first three batters reached base, including an RBI double by Davis. Crager came through in a big way with a two-run home run to bring DC within one run with only one out. Unfortunately, the rally stalled as the next two batters were retired to give Centre another one-run victory.

Aarika Davis emerged as one of the offensive stars of the day with three hits and four RBIs including two home runs. Crager had two hits with three RBIs and a home run. Laurel Palk had three hits of her own with two runs scored.

Johnston went 6 2/3 innings in the opener giving up five runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts. In the second game, Robin Diers gave up seven runs in five innings of work with one K.

Defiance (0-2) will continue to head south as the Jackets will take part in the Rebel Spring Games this coming week. DC’s first game of the classic will be Monday against Franklin & Marshall College at 11:00 a.m.