Jackets Drop Heartbreaker at Mount St. Joseph

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Defiance College committed an error on what would have been the final out of the game and Mount St. Joseph capitalized with a five-run ninth inning to steal the 9-8 victory in the opening game of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend series.

The Yellow Jackets led 8-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning before a solo home run brought the Lions within four heading to the ninth. Another MSJ long ball started the frame to trim DC's edge to 8-5 and it stayed that way until the second out of the inning was recorded with a runner on first base.

Back-to-back singles would load the bases, before Defiance misplayed what would have been the final out of the game. MSJ wasted little time taking advantage of its new life, as John Pasquale laced a game-winning, three-run double in the very next at bat to send DC away with a crushing, 9-8, defeat.

Defiance built its lead with three unearned runs in the top of the first and another in the third to claim the 4-1 edge. The lead then swelled to 8-3 in the seventh, when Kirk Jesse and Tim Pitro opened the frame with walks and scored on RBI hits from Casey Kahsen and Alex Timofeev. Braden Brugler was then hit with a pitch to force home the eighth and final score of the night for DC.

Jesse busted out of his slump with a 2-3 showing, which included two walks, two runs and a steal, while Pitro went 3-3 with two runs and one run batted in to give him 99 career RBI and the all-time DC record. Timofeev also had a multi-hit game, ending at 2-4 with a run scored and a pair of RBI.

Defiance (13-20, 4-12 HCAC) and MSJ (16-18, 6-10 HCAC) will hook up for two more on Saturday. The action is set to begin at noon and will be played at Xavier University's Hayden Field.