Rookie Hurlers Shine for DC in Split Against Albion

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Freshmen Darin Waterman and Ryan Valentine led a strong day on the mound for the Yellow Jackets, as the rookie starters combined to hold Albion to one earned run over 12.2 innings of work in Sunday's doubleheader. DC won the opener, 5-0, before falling, 3-1, in an extra-inning loss in the day's second contest.

Waterman picked up his second win in five days by holding Albion scoreless through five innings of work in the opener. The Celina, Ohio native scattered three hits and a trio of walks in his five innings, while striking out six Briton hitters.

The Yellow Jacket offense broke through for four runs in the second inning, after Levi Pauli and David Riley opened the rally with doubles for a 1-0 edge. Aaron Helland then plated Riley and Bryan Lehman on a single to right field and DC tacked on another when Helland sprinted home on a two-out single from Nick Welling.

Defiance would add an unearned run in the fourth to push the spread to 5-0, and Andy Habecker made the lead hold with two strong innings out of the bullpen. Habecker needed only 25 pitches to collect the final six outs and record his first collegiate save.

The Jacket pitching staff would continue to put zeroes on the board in the second game, as Valentine held AC scoreless into the sixth inning. The Springboro, Ohio native then retired the first two batters of the sixth, before a pair of two-out hits put two Briton runners in scoring position. Albion then finally cracked the scoring column on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.

Valentine would settle down to escape further damage and retired the next six hitters with the two sides battling into extra innings. The Britons then struck again with two outs, as a two-out walk ended Valentine's solid outing in the eighth. Consecutive fielding errors on infield bouncers extended the inning, before Anthony Moon dumped a two-run single into shallow center to give AC its first lead of the day.

Valentine worked 7.2 innings on 94 pitches and yielded only one earned run. The righty allowed just four hits and two walks in his first collegiate start, despite taking the hard-luck loss.

Helland was the hitting star for Defiance on the afternoon, collecting four hits in six at bats from his leadoff slot in the lineup. The Defiance, Ohio native also scored twice and added three runs batted in, to account for five of the six runs scored in the doubleheader for the Purple and Gold.

Defiance (2-10) will close a six-game homestand on Tuesday with a non-conference tilt against Goshen (5-15). First pitch is slated for 4:00 pm at Craig A. Rutter Field.