Defiance Sweeps Eastern Nazarene to Begin Florida Trip

FT. MYERS, FLA.  --  The Defiance College baseball team combined for a total of 26 runs as the Yellow Jackets swept Eastern (Pa.) Nazarene University, 10-5 and 16-3, to begin its annual trip south to Ft. Myers, Fla.  

DC also racked up a total of 27 hits with junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) finishing a combined seven-of-eight (.875) with seven runs batted and three runs scored to lead the Jackets on the day.  

In game one, Defiance (2-2) scored first with a run in the top of the first inning on a RBI-sacrifice fly by senior Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto) that was set up by an earlier triple by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance).  Eastern Nazarene (1-3) took the lead in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs on on back-to-back RBI base hits to make the score 2-1.

The Jackets took control of the game with a six-run third that included a lead-off solo homerun by Reed.  Later in the inning, Reed came to the plate again and drove in two more runs on a two-RBI single with runners on second and third to make the score 7-2.  DC tacked on two more runs in the fourth thanks to a fielder's choice with bases loaded by junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) and a single by freshman Tyler Weaver (Defiance) to increase the margin to 9-2.

The Lions got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fourth and then added two more runs in the sixth to pull to within four runs, 9-5, heading into the final inning.  In the top half of the inning, senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) gave the Jackets an insurance run with a solo homer to left field for a 10-5 margin.  The Kohlhofer solo shot would be the final run of the game as Defiance went on to win game one by the final of 10-5.

Reed ended the game with three hits in four attempts and also scored a run in addition to driving in three runs.  Gentile was the other Yellow Jacket to record a multi-hit game going two-of-four with two runs scored and a RBI.  Kohlhofer's homerun was his lone hit of the game and went one-of-five overall with two runs scored and a RBI.  Harrington and Weaver both posted one-of-four efforts in addition to both scoring a run and having two RBI.

Junior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) started on the mound for DC and pitched five complete innings to pick up his first win of the season.  He allowed three runs on eight hits and had three strikeouts.  Sophomore Cody Nelson (Clayton, Mich./Hudson) and senior Chris Douglas (Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western) both pitched an inning of relief.  Nelson gave up two runs, none earned, on two hits and had a pair of strikeouts, while Douglas allowed no runs or hits and struck out two batters.

The DC offense stayed hot in game two with 16 runs and 17 hits.  The Yellow Jackets took control right from the start with seven runs in the bottom of the first and four more runs in the second to jump out to an 11-0 advantage.  Each inning featured a two-RBI base hit with Kohlhofer connecting on a single in the first inning that allowed two runs to score and freshman Michael Gilliland (Napoleon) hitting a two-RBI double in the second inning.

Eastern Nazarene scored its first run of the game in the top of the fourth, but DC came right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring two more runs on a triple by Reed.  The Jackets crossed home plate two more times in the fifth on a pair of RBI-base hits by Weaver and Gilliland that made the score 15-1.  

The Lions scored their final two runs in the top of the sixth and the Jackets added their final run in the bottom of the frame that came on a RBI-single by Gentile as DC cruised to the 16-3 final.

Three DC players recorded a hit in every at-bat in game two, led by Reed who went four-of-four with two runs scored and four RBI.  Gilliland and Weaver also went perfect at the dish, both finishing three-of-three.  Gilliland also scored three runs and drove in four runs, while Weaver added a run scored and three RBI.  Levengood, Gentile and senior Ben Weber (Troy/Lehman Catholic) all recorded a pair of hits to round out the multi-hit performances.  Levengood added three runs scored, Gentile scored twice and drove in a run and Weber scored a run.

At pitcher, juinor Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) started the game and pitched five innings for his first win of the season after allowing just one run on six hits.  Freshman Troy Konwinski (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park) pitched an inning in relief and gave up two runs on four hits.  Fellow freshman Paris Creek (Bryan) also pitched an inning of relief and allowed no runs on two hits and had one strikeout.

Defiance will continue the schedule tomorrow (Tuesday, Mar. 8) with a single nine-inning game against Rockford (Ill.) University.  The first pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m.