DC Baseball Scores HCAC Win at Franklin

FRANKLIN, Ind. – Defiance picked up its first conference victory of the season on Friday, scoring an extra-inning win over Franklin with a 2-1 victory in eight innings. The Jackets then fell, 10-2, in the second contest to split the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Franklin struck first, with a run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead off Darin Waterman and Defiance. The Jackets answered in the fourth, as Bryn Lehman opened the frame with a single and moved to third on a double from Waterman. Lehman then scored the tying run on an infield ground out by Andy Habecker.

The score remained gridlocked through the scheduled seven innings of regulation, before Defiance claimed its first lead of the contest. Jonathan Murphy singled to start the rally, before advancing on an error and scoring on a single from Habecker.

Waterman started the bottom of the eighth and recorded the first out, before walking the potential game-tying runner to end his afternoon. Alex Schomaeker came out of the DC pen and slammed the door on Franklin by retiring the first two hitters he faced for his second save of the season.

Waterman (2-2) pitched 7.1 innings and held the Grizzlies to the single run on eight hits. Waterman retired five hitters on strikes and notched his second victory on the bump this season and the first HCAC victory of his young career.

Defiance carried the momentum into the second game, taking a 2-1 lead into the fifth, before a five-run outburst from Franklin put the Jackets in a 6-2 deficit. DC loaded the bases in the ensuing inning but could not capitalize, and the Grizzlies pulled away for the 10-2 win to salvage the split.

Dave Riley led the attack with two hits and a pair of RBI in the second game, while Brad Kremer collected three hits and Chris Donese scored one run.

Defiance (8-15, 1-8 HCAC) and Franklin (18-5, 6-3 HCAC) will finish the series with a single game on Saturday at 12:00 pm.