Yellow Jackets Battle Quakers

RICHMOND, IND.  --  Trailing by four runs heading into the ninth inning, the Defiance College baseball team battled Earlham (Ind.) College, but fell short, 4-2, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game in Richmond, Ind.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Earlham (20-6, 10-4 HCAC) got on the board on a base hit with a runner on second base to grab a 1-0 lead.  The Quakers added to their lead in the fifth plating two more runs to increase the margin to 3-0.

Later in the game, Earlham tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth making the score 4-0.  Defiance (13-12, 6-7 HCAC) looked to mount a rally in the ninth and would score a run on a RBI-single by freshman Tyler Weaver (Defiance).  Following the base hit, the Yellow Jackets had runners at the corners and got another run on a groundout to cut the deficit in half, 4-2.

But the second run would come with two outs and Earlham got DC to hit into the game-ending out on its very next at-bat to clinch a 4-2 win and capture the first game of the three-game series.

Defiance had five hits in the game with four of those hits divided between Weaver and fellow freshman Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East).  Weaver finished the game two-of-four with the RBI and Stippich went two-of-three and also scored a run.  The other Jacket hit was recorded by junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) who was one-of-three to go along with a RBI.

Junior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) pitched the first six innings for DC and allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits and had one strikeout.  Sophomore Cody Nelson (Clayton, Mich./Hudson) replaced Blanch and pitched an inning of relief giving up an earned run in addition to a strikeout.  Freshman Bryce Alabata (Bryan) pitched the final inning and had one strikeout while not allowing a run.

Defiance and Earlham will play a HCAC doubleheader tomorrow (Saturday, Apr. 16) in Richmond, Ind.  The first game is scheduled to begin at noon.