Jackets Sweep the Berg, Win Fifth Straight

In the opener, DC broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the seventh inning. Amanda Auzins led off the inning with a single up the middle, before moving up a base on Laurel Palk’s single to left center. Mallory Faling spoiled the shutout for Heidelberg pitcher Nicole Bachman with one swing of the bat, homering to deep center to give the Jackets a 3-0 lead.

Heidelberg answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs of their own, sending the game into extra innings. Allenspach, Price, and Sweetnich each drove in runs for the Student Princes.

Justine Johnston was placed on second base to start the eighth inning, due to the international tie-breaker rule. Aarika Davis reached on a fielder’s choice to lead off the

inning, before Johnston and her moved up a base on a passed ball. Two batters later Palk drove in Johnston, while Davis scored what turned out to be the winning run on a throwing error by the catcher to put Defiance up 5-3. Heidelberg would score a run in the bottom of the inning, but it wouldn’t be enough as DC pulled out the victory.

During the game Justine Johnston had her scoreless inning streak snapped at 16 innings, after shutting out the Berg through the first six innings of the game. The junior hurler improved to 5-3 on the season, going all eight innings and giving up four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.

Defiance wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the nightcap. Stephanie Lieto drew a walk to give the Jackets their first base runner, before moving to third on a double by Marah Robinson. Kayla Crager plated Lieto with a sac fly to left field to give DC a 1-0 lead.

Heidelberg scored a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1, but the Jackets would regain the lead with two runs in the third. Robinson led off the inning with her third home run of the season, driving the ball over the left field fence to give DC a one-run lead. Faling would keep things going for Defiance, drawing a walk to put a runner on with no out. Tasha Stucke came in as a pinch runner, stealing her third base of the season to put a runner in scoring position. Davis drove in Stucke with a single through the right side to give the Jackets a 3-1 advantage.

Defiance scored a run in the next two innings to go into the bottom of the fifth with a 5-1 lead, but Heidelberg was not ready to quit. The Berg scored a combined five runs over the next to innings to take their first lead of the day, 6-5.

DC answered with three runs in the top of the seventh as Faling drove in Palk and Lieto with a double through the left side, while Robinson scored Crager’s grounder to second to help the Jackets regain the lead, 8-6. Heidelberg would plate another run in the bottom of the inning, but DC pitcher Julie Miller would escape further trouble when Crager and Lieto completed a double-play to get the final two outs of the game.

Faling finished the day with five hits and five RBI’s, while Palk recorded six hits on the day with three runs and a RBI. Robinson and Lieto each had three hits on the day for Defiance.

Defiance (8-7) will return to action on Friday, April 4, when it travels to Tri-State University for a doubleheader. The opening game of the doubleheader is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.