DC Baseball Splits Pair at Mount St. Joseph

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Less than 24 hours after seeing MSJ rally for five runs in the ninth to win the series opener on Friday, Defiance closed the weekend set by overcoming a five-run, ninth-inning deficit en route to an 8-7 win. DC dropped Saturday's first game, 11-1, but doubled its 2009 win total with the 14th win of the year in the nightcap.

The first game belonged to MSJ, as the Lions pounded out 11 runs on 19 hits in the seven inning contest. Defiance countered with just one run on six hits, with three of those safeties coming in the fifth. The only rally of the game was highlighted by Kirk Jesse singling home Brent Kremer for DC's lone run.

Keith Wade turned in the only multi-hit game for the Jackets, going 2-3 at the plate with a double and one stolen base.

The Jackets battled back in the second game, as Casey Kahsen and Wade walked and scored in the top of the second to claim the early 2-0 edge.

Mount St. Joseph would charge back however, scoring seven unanswered runs to take a 7-2 lead into the ninth inning.

DC erupted for five runs in the ninth, as Wade was in the middle of the rally once again. The senior third baseman started the frame with a double, before scoring on a Zach Stallkamp single. Braden Brugler and Levi Pauli kept the threat going with consecutive singles to load the bases for Jesse, who laced a two-run single to draw the Jackets within two.

A wild pitch plated Pauli to trim the deficit to a single run and Defiance finally drew even, as back-to-back walks to Tim Pitro and Kahsen pushed Jesse around with the tying run.

It would remain a 7-7 gridlock until the 11th inning, when Jesse singled and swiped second to move into scoring position. Wade then singled to center field to drive in Jesse with the go-ahead run.

Todd Odell (1-0) would make the lead stand, working the second of his two scoreless innings to preserve the thrilling, 8-7, DC victory and earn his first win of the season.

Odell's efforts highlighted a strong showing from the Defiance bullpen, as Pat McKee, Jake Taylor and Odell combined to blank the Lions over their final four innings, while holding MSJ to just four hits during that time.

Stallkamp went 4-5 at the plate with two runs batted in to fuel DC's 13-hit attack, while Jesse collected three hits of his own to go with two runs, two RBI and a steal. Wade also stayed hot, turning in two more hits, with a double and the game-winning RBI.

Defiance (14-21, 5-13 HCAC) will close out its 2010 campaign in the coming week with four games at Craig A. Rutter Field. The Jackets will host Bluffton on Tuesday at 4:00 pm, before welcoming Rose-Hulman for a weekend series starting on Friday at 4:00 pm.