DC Softball falls in HCAC Semifinals
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

#1 Defiance vs #3 Transylvania: Game Statistics

DEFIANCE, Ohio – With a chance to advance to the HCAC Tournament Championship game, the Defiance College Softball team could not come away with the win, as the Jackets fell to Transylvania University by the score 5-4.

With the Pioneers winning home team advantage via the coin flip, the game began in their favor, as the Pioneers put up three runs in the opening inning. The score remained 3-0 until the third inning, when DC scored two runs in the frame off of an RBI double by Aarika Davis and an RBI single by Renee Steffen.

The Jackets were able to close the gap in the fifth when Steffen plated Krystle Skaziak with an RBI single to knot the game at three apiece. Neither team could manage more than single over the course of the next inning and a half. The scored remained tied going into the top of the seventh.

Laurel Palk led off the inning with a single, then was able to advance all the way to third off of a throwing error by the first baseman. Jessica Smith came through with a clutch RBI double but was thrown out trying to advance to third. Despite the out, DC held a one-run lead and maintained the advantage going into the bottom of the seventh.

Johnston struck out the first batter of the frame and looked to be cruising to the win. However, the inning began to slowly get away from the Jackets as she gave up a single to the next batter, Loren Bewley. Liz Meredith was able to reach second on a throwing error, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Another defensive miscue loaded the bases when a pop-up dropped between first and the pitcher’s mound. With the bases full of Pioneers, Johnston was able to get Jessica Holloman to ground to third, but Davis made was unable to make a play on any of the runners, bringing in the tying run. With the score knotted at four and one out, Johnston faced Melissa Sharpe with the winning run at third. The two battled back and forth, bringing a full count. On the next pitch, Johnston came inside too tight and hit Sharpe, forcing in the winning run.

All three Jacket seniors had hits in their final collegiate games. Renee Steffen had three hits with two RBIs, Jessica Smith had DC’s go-ahead RBI double, and Monica Sigurdson went 1-for-3 on the day.

Anderson University defeated Transylvania in the championship game by the score 8-5 to secure the 2007 HCAC Championship and the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Defiance finishes the regular season with an overall record of 23-19 and 13-2 in the HCAC.