Spartans Hold off Defiance at TinCaps’ Parkview Field

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Casey Kahsen swatted his team-leading third home run and DC's top four hitters combined to go nine-of-18 at the plate to help the Jackets outhit Manchester, 14-9, but the Spartans held on for the 7-5 victory on Monday night at the home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

The Yellow Jacket offense got to work early, as Brent Kremer and Casey Kahsen continued their torrid hitting. Kremer roped a one-out double in the top of the first inning and later scored when Kahsen cleared the Parkview Field fences to give Defiance the quick, 2-0, cushion.

Manchester plated one run of its own in the bottom half, before adding three more in the second to take the 4-2 lead. Both sides would score a pair in the fifth and MC tacked on one more in the sixth to make it a 7-4 ballgame.

Stephen Leskow entered in relief for the Jackets and kept Manchester off the board over the final three innings but Defiance could not muster a rally until the top of the ninth. The heart of the order ignited the charge once again, as Tim Pitro doubled and Kahsen followed with an RBI single to open the frame and trim the deficit to two runs.

That would be all the Jackets would get however, as MC retired the next three Defiance batters to end the threat and preserve the 7-5 victory over the Purple and Gold.

The top of the DC lineup did most of the damage on the night, as Kirk Jesse, Kremer, Pitro and Kahsen all had multi-hit games and combined to collect nine of the team's 14 hits on the night, while scoring all five of the runs.

Tyler Gallant (2-2) took the loss on the bump, after allowing four earned runs and seven hits in his four innings of work. Leskow also pitched four innings, yielding just one earned run and striking out two.

Defiance (12-15, 4-8 HCAC) will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon, when it hosts Ohio Northern (17-8) at Rutter Field. First pitch is set for 4:00 pm.