Defiance Beats Bluffton

BLUFFTON, OHIO  --  Defiance College baseball defeated Bluffton University, 4-1, in the first of three Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchups this season.

Both teams swapped runs in the third inning with Defiance's (8-17, 5-7 HCAC) run coming on a sacrifice fly by senior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek).  

The Yellow Jackets then scored the remaining three runs of the game beginning with a run in the top of the seventh inning thanks to a RBI-single by senior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) that was set up by a double by fellow senior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) in the previous at-bat to give DC a 2-1 advantage.

Defiance then added two more runs in the eighth with a single by freshman Everett Kissel (Defiance/Tinora) that scored sophomore Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East) and junior Glen Collier (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville).

Bluffton (11-11, 4-8 HCAC) got a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth, but the DC defense came up with the remaining two outs to end the inning preventing the potential run from scoring.

The Jackets then sealed the game with three straight outs in the bottom of the ninth to go on to the 4-1 final.

Defiance put up eight hits in the game with two players recording multi-hit games in Blanch in Harrington.  Both finished two-of-four with Blanch adding a pair of runs scored and Harrington also had a RBI.

On the mound, sophomore Paris Creek (Bryan) got the start and pitched eight full innings, allowing just an unearned run on seven hits and struck out four batters.  Sophomore Troy Konwinski (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park) came on to pitch the ninth and grabbed his third save of the season allowing no hits or runs.

DC will begin a HCAC three-game series against Earlham (Ind.) College on Friday, Apr. 14 with a single, nine-inning game at Craig A. Rutter Field.  The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.