Hild headlines a big offensive day, DC swept by Siena Heights

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Senior Jacob Hild had a memorable afternoon with a seven-RBI performance that energized the Defiance Yellow Jackets attempting to overcome a large deficit, but DC was swept by scores of 5-3 and 17-13 by the Siena Heights Saints at Craig A. Rutter Field on Tuesday.

The Yellow Jackets (11-33, 3-21 WHAC) racked up a season-high 17 hits in the high-scoring Game 2 loss that also resorted in a pitching appearance by Hild, who came one RBI shy of the school record in that game. The Saints (19-24, 12-12) earned a pair of valuable wins to remain in contention to make the WHAC tournament.

Game 1: Siena Heights 5, Defiance 3
The Saints rode a four-run first to victory but not without a challenge from the Yellow Jackets. Donovan Armstrong stabilized DC on the mound with 4.1 hitless innings of relief, surrendering just one unearned run during the fourth. That effort allowed the offense to fight back and climb within one run with a three-run third. Jacob Hild and Connor Gephart cracked consecutive singles to move Anthony Silvera Jr. around the bases for the first run. With runners on the corners, the Jackets employed a double-steal to create the second score as Hild's courtesy runner, Tim Bobek, raced for home while Gephart swiped second. A wild pitch on ball four to Gunner Gregg enabled Gephart to complete the team's third trip around the bases. Tyler Sickmiller also gave the Jackets a clutch effort in relief to keep the game a two-score game. He relieved Armstrong in the sixth and worked out of a two-on-one-out situation. In the seventh, the senior posted another scoreless frame despite runners on second and third with one out. Kolbe VanderLeest started the last of the seventh with a leadoff double but the Yellow Jackets were turned away to finish out the opening contest.

Game 2: Siena Heights 17, Defiance 13
Siena Heights muscled ahead 16-2 with a pair of big innings in the second and fifth frames. All seven runs in the second were unearned and came in as part of six straight two-out hits. They kept rapping hits during the six-run fifth as well while the Yellow Jackets produced a pair of solo homers by Connor Gephart and Anthony Silvera Jr. However, the tide turned in a big way during the sixth inning. Garret Long, Carter Kennon and Alex Rodriguez III all plugged base hits while Kolbe VanderLeest and Logan Hudson pushed runs across on fielder's choices. Jacob Hild brought the team back ot life with a two-out grand slam to make it a seven-run inning. Hild struck again during a four-run seventh to bring Defiance within four when he cleared the bases with a three-run double. To add to the intrigue, Hild relieved a taxed pitching staff and tossed a pair of scoreless innings to keep the window open for the Yellow Jackets. Defiance was able to work a couple runners on base but were unable to complete the valiant comeback effort.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Jacob Hild went a combined 5-for-9 and now has a team-best 15 multi-hit games. In Game 2, he was 3-for-6 with a double, grand slam, and seven RBIs. His performance driving in runs is the second-most in a game in program history behind Adam Owens' record of eight RBIs in 2001. It was also his first-career game on the mound.
• Connor Gephart extended his on-base streak to 23 games with hits in each contest. He also slugged his 10th-career home run, making him three shy of joining the career top-10 list as he nears the end of his second season with the program.
• Anthony Silvera Jr. and Alex Rodriguez III each recorded three hits in Game 2, which is a career-best for Rodriguez. Silvera's home run awarded him with the team lead with four long balls this year.
• In Game 1, Tyler Sickmiller recorded his team-high ninth scoreless outing this season and trimmed ERA in conference games to 1.54.
• Donovan Armstrong's strong outing in Game 1 was his longest outing of the season, complemented by a season-high four strikeouts.
• Mason Michael made his collegiate debut on the mound and turned in 2.1 innings and allowed one unearned run. 
• Defiance was plagued by nine walks and three errors in Game 1, while walking nine more in Game 2 despite a season-high 10 strikeouts.
• Several hitters posted their first offensive numbers coming off the bench in Game 2. Carter Kennon, Dominic Jarjis and Devon Crouch all recorded their first college hits. Kennon and Jurjis also chipped in their first-career RBIs during the late-inning resurgence. Logan Hudson also pushed across his first RBI of the season in the late innings.

UP NEXT
Defiance returns to action on Thursday in its last road games of the season at Madonna. First pitch of the doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.

-JACKETS-