Baseball Wraps Up Florida Trip with Wild Win

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. --  The Yellow Jackets ended their eight-game swing through Port Charlotte with a 12-9 victory over Stevens Tech on Friday. Defiance used an eight-run outburst in the sixth and got seven strong innings on the mound from Brad Timofeev to end the week on a high note.

Defiance got contributions up and down the lineup en route to the season-high, 12-run total as all nine starters scored or drove in at least one run and seven of the nine had at least two hits.

The potent offensive showing led to a 12-2 lead for the Jackets as DC struck for two runs in the third and added one in the fourth and fifth. The floodgates opened in the sixth as Defiance pushed eight runs across the plate to take the commanding 10-run lead.

Stevens Tech made things interesting with seven runs against DCs bullpen in the final two innings, as the Ducks capitalized on some control problems from the Yellow Jacket relievers to mount the late rally.            

Jeremy Hawkins and Tim Pitro highlighted an outstanding day at the plate for DC, combining for six hits, four runs scored and six RBI. Lenny Koesters knocked out two hits and scored three times and Phi Kosier, David Jackson, Mike Hill and Ben Gates each had a pair of hits.

Timofeev (2-0) backed up his dominating one-hit performance on Monday with seven strong innings on Friday. The sophomore transfer allowed one earned run and two total, while holding Stevens Tech to just six hits for his second victory of the season.

Defiance (4-6) will now head north to prepare for the remainder of the season. DC will get that started with a non-conference game at Grace College on Tuesday before opening its Heartland Conference schedule with a weekend series at Transylvania.