DC Beats Earlham (Ind.) in Game One; Game Two Suspended

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College baseball team hung on to beat Earlham (Ind.) College in the first game of a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader, 2-1, at Craig A. Rutter Field.  The second game was halted after the completion of the fourth inning and will be resumed tomorrow (Sunday, Apr. 26) at noon.

Defiance (15-14, 10-10 HCAC) got its first two hitters on base to begin the bottom of the first inning.  The Yellow Jackets went on to grab the early lead with a run on a RBI single by junior Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto) with runners on second and third base.  The lead remained one run for DC until the seventh when the Jackets plated another run thanks to a RBI single by junior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) to extend the margin to 2-0.  Earlham (22-10, 11-9 HCAC) then threatened in the top of the ninth and managed to get bases loaded with only one out.  The Quakers then cut the deficit in half with a bases loaded walk to make the score 2-1.  Sophomore picther Nick Peters (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower) then took the mound in relief and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and preserve the one-run victory.

At the plate, Defiance had four hits in the game by four different players.  Kohlhofer finished one-of-three to go along with the RBI.  Levengood went one-of-four and a RBI.  Sophomore Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) recorded a hit in three at-bats and senior Chris Donese (Kettering/Fairmont) finished one-of-four.

Sophomore Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) started the game on the mound and pitched eight-and-a-third innings allowing one run on three hits and struck out five batters.  He was also the pitcher of record and got his fourth win of the season to improve to 4-2 overall.  Peters claimed his second save of the season after a perfect two-thirds of an inning with no runs or hits and tallied two strikeouts.

In game two, prior to the game being suspended, Earlham scored the only run of the game thus far in the top of the second inning with a RBI single, to take a 1-0 lead.  Following completion of the fourth inning, the decision was made to suspend play due to the steady drizzle and increasing unplayable field conditions.  

The two teams will resume today's second game tomorrow at noon followed by the final game of the three-game series at Rutter Field.