Late Rally Comes Up Short in Loss to Franklin

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying run on second base with two outs but could not complete the comeback, falling to Franklin on Friday by a 4-3 margin.

Franklin held leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-1 throughout the game, as Kayla Bachek kept the Yellow Jackets bats off balanced with an effective pitching performance. Defiance managed to put runners on base in every inning except the sixth, but could only dent the scoring column in the third and seventh.

Facing the 4-1 deficit heading into its final at bat, Defiance got its seventh-inning rally started with a one-out single by Laurel Palk. A FC fielding blunder put runners on first and second, before a fielder’s choice moved runners to the corners with two outs.

A wild pitch brought Palk home with DC’s second tally of the game and moved Marah Robinson to second base.

Mallory Faling then roped a double into the left center gap to plate Robinson and make it a 4-3 ballgame. The Jackets would leave the tying runner on base however, as Franklin recorded an infield out to end the threat and the game.

Palk and Stephanie Lieto did their jobs setting the table for the DC lineup, as the duo combined to go 4-for-7 with a pair of runs scored in the first two positions of the batting order. Robinson and Faling each had a hit and picked up an RBI.

Justine Johnston took the loss in the circle, tossing a complete game and giving up three earned runs.

Defiance appeared on its way to rebounding from the loss, as it charged to a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the nightcap, before the game was called due to lightning.

Defiance and Franklin will complete the suspended contest on Saturday at Bluffton. The Grizzlies will play Bluffton in a doubleheader, before finishing Friday’s game against the Jackets. The game is scheduled to begin at approximately 5:00 pm.