April 29

DC Softball Clinches HCAC Championship
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

Defiance vs Franklin: Game 1 / Game 2

FRANKLIN, Ind. – The Defiance College Softball team upped its record to 13-1 in Heartland Conference competition with a doubleheader sweep at Franklin on Sunday by the scores 9-1 and 13-0.

The two wins clinched the regular season championship for Defiance and assured home-field advantage for the Yellow Jackets throughout the 2007 Heartland Conference Championship Tournament, which will be held May 4 and 5.
Krystle Skaziak's five hits helped clinch the HCAC
Franklin got on the scoreboard first, scoring in the opening at bat. However, from that point on, the Jackets had full control of the game. Monica Sigurdson and Krystle Skaziak each put together RBI singles in the second inning to erase the deficit. Sigurdson would add another RBI single in the following inning as DC scored twice in the frame. A three-run inning in the fourth and a two-run rally in the sixth gave DC all the offense it needed for the win in the shortened game.

Justine Johnston earned her 11th win of the year, hurling a complete game four-hitter, allowing only one unearned run. Sigurdson had her first four-hit game of the year while adding three RBIs in the game.

DC did not begin the second game with the same offensive spark as in the opener, as the Jackets were held to three runs in the first four innings. That all changed in the seventh, when DC exploded for 12 hits in the inning. By the time the Grizzlies were up to bat in the bottom of the frame, the Jackets had extended the lead to 13 by putting up ten runs in the inning. Robin Diers was able to close the door by getting the final three outs in the inning for the win.

Diers scattered seven hits in the game with a walk and a strikeout for her 10th win of the year. Skaziak and Aarika Davis each had three-hit games, with Skaziak chipping in with three runs scored and two RBis and Davis adding a run scored and RBI of her own.

Defiance (22-16, 13-1 HCAC) secures the top seed in the HCAC Tournament and will host the games Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5. Remaining seeding will be determined later this week.