Defiance falls to Transy 5-3 in home opener

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance College Baseball team dropped its home opener 5-3 on Saturday to Transylvania in game one of a three-game set scheduled for the weekend.

Defiance had a chance to tie the game or take the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Yellow Jackets were unable to find the hit. The Yellow Jackets entered the ninth inning trailing 5-2, but started a rally with a pair of one-out singles.

Chris Donese scored to cut the deficit to 5-3 on an infield hit. After a second out, Defiance loaded the bases with a two-out walk. However, the Yellow Jackets were unable to close the gap as Brandon Riley grounded out to end the game.

Defiance finished with 11 base runners stranded in the game. After Transylvania opened up the game with a run in the top of the first, Defiance threatened to score in the bottom half of the inning.

Ryan Kohlhofer started off the inning with a single up the middle and Joel Musser reached base on a fielder's choice attempt as the Pioneers defense attempted to catch Kohlhofer at second as the lead runner.

With runners on first and second and no outs, Defiance grounded into a fielder's choice and had a pair of pop ups that ended DC's threat.

The game remained a 1-0 Transylvania lead until the fourth inning when the Pioneers added two more runs to go up 3-0. Transylvania used a sac bunt to place a runner in scoring position and followed it up with a single to score the first run. Later in the inning, Transy added its second run with a sacrifice fly.

Defiance got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly of its own. Aaron Helland started off the inning with a single and then proceeded to steal second base, one of seven on the day for DC.

After Helland took third on a Donese ground out, Kohlhofer was able to bring Helland home for the first run on a deep sacrifice fly to right field.

Transylvania answered with a run in the sixth, capitalizing on a fielding error.

In the seventh inning, Zach Reed scored Defiance's second run on a great individual effort. Reed led off the inning with a single and quickly stole second base. After a ground out that held Reed at second, he stole third base and was able to walk home after the throw from the catcher ended up down the left field line.

Transylvania added a run in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 5-2. The Yellow Jackets threatened in the eighth, but ended up getting picked off second and stranding two base runners.

The Yellow Jackets and Transylvania will return to the field Sunday with a first pitch scheduled for noon in a doubleheader.