By LYNN GROLL
groll@crescent-news.com
Following a three-year absence from NCAA regional action, the Defiance College softball program is back following a thrilling finish at the HCAC Tournament last weekend.
The Jackets' run to the regional tournament can be traced back to a year ago when DC captured the HCAC regular season crown but were denied a regional berth after falling in the HCAC Tournament.
The disappointing finish to last year's season created a motivating factor for this season's team according to third-year DC mentor Jodie Holava.
"That played a huge part," remarked the 2001 Mount Union grad. "The girls have kind of a ritual. They wrote this saying and part of it is we won't be in the same position we were last year. Meaning, how we kind of fell apart a little bit in the conference tournament (last year). So they have this little ritual before every game, they read this thing and it was kind of their motivating factor to when we get to that (HCAC) championship game this year, we are going to win and we are going to advance."
DC entered the HCAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and topped archrival Bluffton in the opening round before beating No. 1 seed and tourney host Rose-Hulman 2-1 in eight innings. The Lady Jackets then finished the weekend off with an 11-5 triumph over Mount St. Joseph in 13 innings in the championship contest.
"A lot of ups and downs," admitted Holava of what ran through her mind during the 13-inning marathon. "When you're going 13 innings, you're constantly trying to think a couple of plays in advance, especially when you get in the international tiebreaker when you start with a runner on second. It's constantly thinking and the biggest thing that our kids did so well was they executed. That had kind of been our downfall during the regular season and that was not coming up with that big clutch hit with a runner in scoring position. But we did it multiple innings (at HCAC Tournament)."
Wauseon graduate Justine Johnston played a large role in the Jackets HCAC championship run by hurling all 28 innings over the weekend in Terre Haute, Ind.
"You've got to give credit to Justine," lauded Holava. "She pitched all 28 innings, that's something else at that level."
"It was the most exciting thing in the whole world," remarked Johnston, who sports a sterling 16-6 record and a 1.79 ERA in the circle. "Going in we were really confident that we could win and it was just amazing. Our team played incredibly great, I knew we could play like that and we finally did play like that."
DC's duo of seniors, Laurel Palk and Robin Diers, ushered in their careers with a trip to the NCAA regional as freshmen and go out as seniors the same way.
"It's probably the best senior gift I could've got," expressed Palk. "It's just reliving my freshman year going to Regionals. I couldn't have asked for anything else, it's awesome."
Each pointed to a talented group of underclassmen for the team's success this year along with a healthy roster after the Jackets battled injuries much of the season.
"We knew what it was like to win conference, Laurel and I," said Diers. "I think we were especially motivated in this tournament. Everyone has had clutch plays, especially that last game. Everyone's healthy now, so we have the whole roster and we came together at exactly the right time."
Palk sparks the DC offense at the top of the order and is second on the team with a .331 average.
Marah Robinson (.372 average, round-trippers, 25 RBI) and Mallory Faling (.316 average, five homers, team-best 29 RBI) also join Palk above the .300 plateau.
DC (22-16) opens the NCAA regional today in Ithaca, New York against top-seeded and No. 10 nationally ranked Ithaca College (30-10).
Lebanon Valley, DeSales, Rochester, Bethany, Ramapo and Penn State-Behrend also join the double-elimination regional fray that is scheduled to run through Monday.
"We should be competitive with all those schools," said Holava. "The kids should be excited. Going to regionals is such an experience. It kind of tops off your whole collegiate career. You have to have a path to your field and you get escorted to your field and all that stuff. So just that feeling of having that experience at the Division III level makes the kids feel so much more like a collegiate athlete. All the Division I schools always get all the glory, but giving them such a special experience at this level will make playing at Defiance that much sweeter for them, and that much more of a stronger memory when leaving here."