Portales Tosses Complete Game in Win over Bluffton

DEFIANCE, Ohio  --  Defiance pushed across single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings and Brandon Portales did the rest. The freshman hurler pitched all nine innings and allowed just a pair of unearned runs on five hits ad DC scored a 3-2 victory against Bluffton on Sunday afternoon at Craig Rutter Field.

David Jackson and Phil Kosier ignited the second-inning rally for Defiance, leading off the frame with consecutive singles before moving up 90 feet on a passed ball. R.J. Chidester than dropped down a squeeze bunt to score Jackson and secure the 1-0 advantage.

Jackson was in the middle of the next rally as well, doubling home Jeremy Hawkins in the bottom of the fourth for the 2-0 Defiance lead.   

The lead swelled to 3-0 in the fifth when Kirk Jesse singled with one out and stole second base to move into scoring position. LeTroy Harris then dropped a two-out single into shallow right to provide the eventual game-winning tally.

Portales cruised through six innings, yielding just two hits in that span before some shaky defense behind him cost the southpaw in the seventh inning.

Bluffton struck for a pair of unearned runs in the seventh behind two costly errors, but Portales limited the damage and managed to strand the go-ahead run on the base paths.

The Beavers threatened again in the eighth, loading the bases with one down before Portales retired the next two batters on a strikeout and an infield pop up, before setting down Bluffton in order in the top of the ninth.

Portales notched his second win of the season and recorded his first complete game while lowering his ERA to a team-leading 3.29 in over 54 innings of work.

The Yellow Jackets (11-22, 6-12 HCAC) will play at Bluffton on Tuesday before rounding out the regular season with a weekend series at home against Hanover.