DEFIANCE, OHIO - A gritty game one win proved to be a springboard for Manchester University to take an important Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference sweep Wednesday, April 15.

Defiance College freshman starting pitcher Sarah Kaya gave the Spartans all they could handle in the opener at DC's Sal Hench Field. She struck out nine and didn't surrender a walk, keeping the usually stout MU bats to just two runs on nine hits over eight frames. Fortunately for MU fans, a three-run ninth inning rally, sparked by a pair of RBI singles from freshman outfielder Mikayla Deisler (Goshen, Ind.) and senior shortstop Emily Willmann (Montpelier, Ind.), led the Black and Gold to a 5-3 win.

The Spartans' pitching duo of sophomore Anna Schillinger (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and senior Ashlea Nash (Gas City, Ind.) was just as tough for the Yellowjacket offense to solve. Schillinger went six and a third innings, allowing only two earned runs, while Nash, gaining the win from the bullpen, limited the home team to an unearned run on two hits over the final two and two-thirds.

MU's offense opened the nightcap like it ended game one. A five-run first inning outburst, highlighted by a two-run single from junior first baseman MacKenzie Williams (Kendallville, Ind.), helped lead to an early victory. The Black and Gold kept the roll going behind a long two-run home run off the bat of Willmann in the second and a Nash solo homer in the fifth to go with an RBI single from sophomore infielder Chloe Hensley (South Bend, Ind.) to spark a three-run fifth. The visitors capped the 10-2, five-inning win with Nash wrapping up an impressive one-hit performance to move to 9-4 on the season.

The Spartans resume a busy week Saturday, April 18, hosting Transylvania University at Spartan Field. First pitch is 1 p.m.

NOTES: Wednesday's sweep moved MU into a tie for fourth on the league standings with Bluffton University. It also placed their overall record back above .500 (11-10) while stopping a short three-game skid … The Spartans have now claimed seven of the last eight in the series with Defiance.