Quakers Use Two-Out Rallies to Top Defiance

DEFIANCE, Ohio – Earlham College plated all seven of its runs with two outs on Sunday afternoon, using a series of clutch hits to score a 7-2 victory over the Yellow Jackets at Craig A. Rutter Field.

The big blow by the Quakers came in the top of the fifth inning, after Darin Waterman had quickly retired the first two hitters of the frame. The next two batters then worked walks and Ted Williams cleared the fence in left field to break open the game and give Earlham the 5-0 cushion.

Bobby Pardun would end the shutout bid in the bottom half of the fifth after he reached on an error to open the inning. Pardun later advanced to second base on a ground out and scored on a single to center by Bryn Lehman to cut the deficit to 5-1.

EC added two more with two outs in the seventh to push the spread to 7-1 and retired three-straight Yellow Jackets in the ninth to end the game, after Pardun and Dylan James had sprayed back-to-back doubles to make it 7-2 before an out was recorded in the inning.

Waterman pitched well in the losing effort, despite giving up seven runs. The rookie hurler held EC to five hits and retired seven on strikes but saw three of his four walks come around to score.

Alex Schomaeker and Aaron Patterson also threw well in relief for the Jackets, as each tossed a scoreless frame out of the bullpen.

Pardun highlighted the offense for Defiance with a pair of hits and scored both runs, while fellow freshmen Justin Mathias and Patrick Masopust each added two hits on the afternoon.

DC (5-20, 1-9 HCAC) will return to action on Tuesday, when it hosts Manchester College (17-8, 8-2 HCAC) in a 4:00 pm contest.