Baseball Drops Season-Opening Doubleheader to Centre

DANVILLE, KY.  --  The Defiance College baseball team opened the 2016 season with a non-conference doubleheader against Centre (Ky.) College in Danville, Ky.  The Yellow Jackets lost both games, 4-2 and 6-2.

In game one, Centre (7-1) got on the board early with a run in the bottom of the first inning and added two more runs in the second to lead, 3-0.  The Colonels then added another run with a two-out single with a runner on third base to increase the margin to 4-0. 

Defiance (0-2) cut into the deficit with a run in the top of the sixth on a RBI-groundout by senior Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto) with runners on second and third base that was set up by back-to-back singles by junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) and senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) followed by a double steal.  

The margin remained three runs heading into the top of the ninth inning when DC crossed home plate with another run thanks to a RBI-single by junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) making the score, 4-2.  The run would come with two outs, however, and the Jackets hit into the game-ending out on the ensuing at-bat following the Harrington single, giving Centre the 4-2 final.

Three players each recorded a pair of hits in game one with Reed finishing two-of-three with a run scored.  Kohlhofer and Harrington both went two-of-four and Harrington also added the RBI.  The other hit recorded by the Jackets in the game was by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance) who was one-of-three and also scored a run.

Junior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) started the game at pitcher and went five full innings giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits and struck out five batters.  Junior Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) came on to pitch three innings of relief allowing no runs or hits and had four strikeouts.

Defiance struck first in game two with a run in the top of the first on a passed ball with bases loaded to take the early lead.  Centre answered the DC run in the bottom of the second with a run of its own on a sacrifice fly that was set up by an earlier triple, evening the score at 1-1.  

The difference in the game came in the bottom of the sixth when Centre tallied five runs to take a 6-1 lead.  In the top of the seventh, Harrington led off the inning with a base hit and later advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Defiance then recorded back-to-back outs before another wild pitch by the Colonels allowed Harrington to score narrowing the gap to 6-2.  The Yellow Jackets then got both runners on base on the next two ensuing at-bats, but before any more runs could score, Centre made the final out on a strikeout to claim the 6-2 victory.

As a team, Defiance had four hits in the game, all by four different players.  Harrington ended the game one-of-two at the plate to go along with a run scored.  Levengood and Reed both went one-of-three, while Kohlhofer had one hit in four attempts.

On the mound, Watkins got the start and pitched five complete innings allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits and had three strikeouts.  Sophomore Jacob Green (Defiance) pitched a third-of-an-inning with two unearned runs and freshman Tyler Davie (Cincinnati/Anderson) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning allowing no runs or hits.

Defiance will be idle until its annual spring trip to Florida.  The Yellow Jackets will take on Eastern Nazarene (Mass.) College in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday, Mar. 7 in Fort Myers, Fla.  The first game is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.