Jackets Get Back in Action with Win at Ohio Northern

ADA, Ohio  --  The DC baseball team finally took the field again on Tuesday after waiting through a week of weather-related cancellations. The Yellow Jackets made the most of it with an 8-6 victory at Ohio Northern, overcoming an early 2-1 deficit and scoring four times in the sixth to back up a strong start on the mound from Aaron Stewart.

Defiance wasted little time getting things started, as Kirk Jesse pushed his current hit streak to three-straight games with a single to open the game. The sophomore leadoff man then swiped second base with one out and scored on an RBI single off the bat of fellow sophomore Keith Wade.

After Ohio Northern rallied for two in the bottom half of the first to put the Jackets in a 2-1 hole, DC answered with a two-spot of its own to reclaim the 3-2 lead in the top of the second. Casey Kahsen led off with a double to left field and later scored on a double from Jesse. Tim Pitro then ripped a two-out single up the middle to send Jesse scampering home.      

Each side traded punches in the fourth inning, as a Ben Gates score was immediately countered by an ONU tally in the bottom half to keep the Jackets lead at 4-3.

Jesse then ignited yet another rally in the sixth as he drew a walk to begin the inning. The Jackets would manage to put five of their first six batters on base to open the sixth and took control with a four-run outburst. Pitro and Wade provided the big blows in the inning, as a Pitro single plated Jesse before a two-run double from Wade capped the rally and lifted DC to the 8-3 lead.

Stewart (1-1) made the lead hold, as only faced 10 Polar Bear batters in his final three innings of work before being lifted after the seventh with the five-run cushion.

DC brought in Nick Picciano to pitch the eighth, but a lead off walk was followed by a pair of fielding errors by the Yellow Jacket infield opened the door for a pair of unearned ONU runs. Brad Timofeev was then summoned to close it down in the ninth, but was welcomed with back-to-back doubles and the lead dropped to just two runs at 8-6. Timofeev settled in after that however, and retired the final three ONU hitters to preserve the non-conference victory.

Jesse reached safely four times in the game and came around to score three of DCs eight runs. Pitro and Wade combined for five hits and five RBI, while Trey Harris added an RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Stewart was credited with the victory in his first start of the season on the mound. The righty hurler allowed only six hits and three walks in seven innings, while yielding only two earned runs and striking out eight.

Timofeev earned the save after holding ONU to one run in the ninth to finish off the Defiance win.

DC (4-9) is scheduled to host Transylvania (13-4) in an HCAC series starting this Friday at Craig A. Rutter Field. The series will feature a nine-inning game on Friday at 4:00 pm and a doubleheader on Saturday with the first pitch slated for noon.