Jackets Suffer Pair of Losses on Final Day in Florida

FT. MYERS, FLA.  --  The Defiance College baseball team ended its annual spring trip south with a pair of losses against Salve Regina (R.I.) University, 4-2, and to North Park (Ill.) University, 10-3, in Ft. Myers, Fla.

Against Salve Regina, Defiance (5-2) scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning thanks to a RBI-double by junior Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto).  The Yellow Jackets made it a two-run game in the fourth when sophomore Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) hit a RBI-double of his own making the score 2-0.  But the Seahawks evened the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs on a two-RBI single with bases loaded.  Salve Regina then crossed homeplate two more times in the fifth to grab a 4-2 lead.  The two runs proved to be the difference maker as DC could not tie the game or take the lead the rest of the way as the Seahawks hung on for the 4-2 victory.

DC was led at the plate by the duo of Levengood and junior Royce Laurendeau (Clyde) who both recorded a pair of hits.  Both players went two-of-four with Levengood driving in a run and Laurendeau scoring a run.  Harrington finished the game one-of-three to go along with a RBI.  Senior Chris Donese (Kettering/Fairmont) had the other hit for the Yellow Jackets going one-of-four overall.

Sophomore Matt Clark (Sandusky/Perkins) started on the hill for DC and pitched four complete innings allowing four runs on seven hits and had two strikeouts.  He was also credited with the loss and is now 1-1 for the season.  Sophomore Nick Peters (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) replaced Clark in the fifth inning and lasted three innings giving up no runs and just two hits.  Freshman Jacob Green (Defiance) finished the game and pitched a near perfect eighth inning with no runs or hits and struck out two batters.

In the game against North Park, DC jumped out on top early with a run in the top of the first inning on a double play with runners on first and third that allowed junior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) to score.  The Jackets later added a run in the third thanks to a RBI-ground out that was set up by a triple by sophomore Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) to lead off the inning.  Defiance maintained its two-run lead until the bottom of the fifth when North Park tallied a run on a defensive error making the score 2-1.  The Vikings then took the lead with a five-run seventh and tacked on four more runs in the eighth to lead 10-2 heading into the ninth.  Following a lead-off single by Laurendeau and a Levengood hit by pitch, senior Matt Staels (Harrison Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse) reached on a fielder's choice scoring Larendeau for DC's third run of the game.  The run, however, came with two outs and DC recorded its final out before scoring any more runs as the Vikings claimed the 10-3 win.

Defiance had one player finish with multiple hits at the plate in Laurendeau who was two-of-four and a run scored.  Kohlhofer finished one-of-four and also scored a run, while Watkins had the other hit for the Jackets and went one-of-two overall in addition to a run scored.

The Yellow Jackets had four pitchers see action against the Vikings with senior Joel Musser (Center Line, Mich./Center Line) getting the start and going four innings while giving up no runs on four hits and had one strikeout.  Senior Aaron Grasing (Carmel, Calif./Carmel) came on to pitch two innings in relief allowing one run on one hit and a strikeout.  Junior Chris Douglas (Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western) replaced Grasing and pitched a complete inning giving up five runs, none earned, on two hits and had a strikeout.  He would also end up as the pitcher of record and was given the loss.  Senior Matt Goodpaster (Kettering/Fairmont) pitched the final inning and allowed four runs on five hits and posted a strikeout.

Defiance is scheduled to host Ohio Northern University in a single nine-inning game on Tuesday, Mar. 17 at Craig A Rutter Field in the home opener.  The first pitch is slated for 4:15 p.m.