Yellow Jacket Softball Off to a Strong Start

Written by: Hailey Krawczyk

The Defiance College Women’s Softball Team has been off to a strong start this season.

In March, the Yellow Jackets started their season, traveling to Florida to compete in 8 games, going 3-5 before returning home.

Following their return to Ohio, the Yellow Jackets hit the road and traveled to play Heidelberg University (Tiffin, OH) in a non-conference match-up. The Yellow Jackets split the two-game series losing Game 1 5-2 and picking up a win in Game 2 with a final score of 7-4.

The Jackets returned home to host Adrian College (Adrian, MI) in another non-conference match-up at the Sal Hench Field in their home opener. The Yellow Jackets earned up the sweep with a final score of 10-2 in Game 1 and 9-3 in Game 2.

Most recently, the Yellow Jackets made a trip up to Hanover on April 2nd in the HCAC Season Opener. The Jackets split the two-game series losing 9-1 in. the first game with only 6 innings played and winning the second game with a final score of 10-3.

The Yellow Jackets traveled up north to Albion College on April 3 rd to face off against Albion College in a rescheduled series. The Yellow Jackets earned the sweep going 9-0 in the first game and finishing 8-5 in the second.

Key factors for the Yellow Jacket softball team come from inside with key players and a coach determined and dedicated to the success of her team.

Senior Kalin Hubble has been one of the biggest performers for the Yellow Jackets, with statistics to prove it. Hubble leads the Jackets with 19 RBIs, 19 Runs, and 33 Hits.

Junior Marissa Roberts has also proven herself to be a key player for the Jackets. Roberts leads the team with an Overall Slugging Percentage of .843, 70 AB, 20 Runs, 36 Hits, and a Batting Average of .514.

Freshman pitcher Anika Craft has also proven herself by earning HCAC Pitcher of the Week on March 22nd. Craft earned the title with a stat line of 17.2 Innings, an ERA of 0.79, 20 Strikeouts, and a win.

You can catch the Yellow Jackets play this week with 4 home games in a row, starting with a doubleheader this Saturday, April 16, against Transylvania at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Then, on Monday, April 18, the Jackets go up against Trine University at 3:30 and 5:30.

On Wednesday, April 20, Manchester visits Sal Hench Feild to challenge the jackets at 3:30 and 5:30 pm.

Then, on Saturday, April 23, the team faces Mt. St. Joesph at 1 and 3. This game is also Senior Day and the last home game of the season.

The Yellow Jackets are currently ranked 4th in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), with an overall record of 10-8.