LoginSOFTBALL: D2 No. 8 Divine Child opens up season with shutout of Country Day
DEARBORN — After being postponed a day prior due to weather, the originally-scheduled softball matchup between Detroit Country Day and Dearborn Divine Child took place on Tuesday at Levagood Park.
Tuesday was officially the season opener for Divine Child, who last played a pair of scrimmages against Ohio-based teams back on March 15 before having their original season opener vs Northville canceled on March 20. Country Day meanwhile opened up its spring campaign last week on March 19, falling by a final score of 3-1 at home vs Milan.
It was ultimately a good first dress rehearsal for the preseason state-ranked and host Falcons, who needed just five innings of work to earn a 13-0 shutout win over the visiting Yellowjackets.
Tuesday was the back end of a home-and-home series between the two programs. A season ago, it was an eerily similar outcome for Divine Child, who scored 12 of their 14 runs from the third inning onward in a road shutout of Country Day.
This time around, the Falcons more of a concerted effort to assert themselves early against the ‘Jackets, scoring a dozen runs through the first three innings including a big six-run second inning.
The scoring for DC began in the first with an RBI triple from freshman Aubree Soto, who then scored on the ensuing at-bat from a pop-fly single off the bat of Jessica Nelson.
Things opened up considerably with that aforementioned crooked number in the second for Divine Child, who at one point saw six consecutive batters reach base safely. Included in that stretch were a pair of home runs from Nelson as well as Lexi Hansen along with a double from Natalie Hansen.
Nelson, who finished 3-for-3 with five runs batted in, did the rest in the circle for the No. 8-ranked Falcons. The senior hurler allowed just four baserunners — three hits and one base on balls — to Country Day hitters through five innings of work.
Elsewhere for Divine Child, it was largely the top of the batting order doing the most damage. The leadoff hitter Lexi Hansen and the No. 3 hitter Soto each turned in two-hit games.
Country Day meanwhile had encouraging starts in each trip to the plate, getting the leadoff hitter to reach base two times. They also got a one-out double from Evie Greenwald in the top of the first but could not cash in.
Greenwald was responsible for two of the Yellowjackets’ three hits in Tuesday’s loss, the other being an infield single from Mirissa Brown to begin the second. Brown later in the inning was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice.
The hitting success from Divine Child came at the expense of Country Day pitcher Juliette Hauser. The sophomore, who also drew a walk against Nelson, spun all four innings for the visitors, tossing just over 100 pitches and fanning seven Falcons hitters.
UP NEXT
It is a very quick turnaround for both teams as they are back on the diamond on Wednesday, March 26.
Divine Child (1-0) is back on the road for a doubleheader against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, while Country Day (0-2) will vie for its first win once more when they travel to Wixom St Catherine for a single game.
PHOTOS: Softball – Detroit Country Day vs Dearborn Divine Child
