DC Ends Florida Schedule With Sweep of Rivier

FT. MYERS, FLA.  --  The Defiance College baseball team ended its annual Florida portion of its schedule with a pair of victories against Rivier (N.H.) University, 6-3 and 19-11, in Ft. Myers, Fla.

In game one, Defiance (5-3) took the early lead with a run in the top of the first inning thanks to a fielder's choice with a runner on third base.  But the lead didn't last long as Rivier (0-10) came right back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs to lead 2-1.  The Yellow Jackets regained the lead with three scores in the third that included RBI base knocks by seniors Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto), Ben Weber (Troy/Lehman Catholic) and a defensive error to make the score 4-2.

Rivier edged closer in the fourth by plating a run on a double, but DC still maintained a 4-3 lead.  The Jackets put the game away in the seventh with two insurance runs thanks to a RBI-single by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance) and a sacrifice fly by Levengood.  DC allowed two runners to get on base in Rivier's half of the inning with only one out, but the Jacket defense ended the game with back-to-back outs to go on to the 6-3 final.

The DC bats were led by senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) who went three-of-four with two runs scored.  Gentile rounded out the multiple hitters by going two-of-four with a run scored and a RBI.  Three other players each recorded a hit in the win.

Defiance used just two pitchers in the game with junior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) getting the start and going five and two-thirds innings allowing three runs on eight hits and had four strikeouts.  He would also get the win and improves to 2-1 overall for the season.  Senior Chris Douglas (Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western) came on to pitch an inning-and-a-third in relief giving up just one hit and had one strikeout to claim his first save of the season.

The Defiance offense came alive in game two with its highest output of the season scoring 19 runs on 19 hits.  Ten players recorded a hit in the game and seven of those would record multi-hit games.  

The Jackets scored runs in the first three innings of the game, beginning with a three-run bottom of the first that included a sacrifice fly by freshman Troy Konwinski (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park) and a double by fellow freshman Michael Gilliland (Napoleon).  DC went on to add two runs in both the second and third innings to increase the lead to 7-0.

The fifth inning was when Defiance took control scoring nine runs highlighted by a two-RBI double by junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) and a two-run triple by junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) to lead 16-0.  The Raiders ended the possible shutout in the top of the sixth with five runs to make the score 16-5.  Defiance got three of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth that included a RBI-triple by Konwinski, a RBI-double by junior Tre DeVoe (Allen Park, Mich./Allen Park) and a RBI-single by sophomore Nate Principe (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) to extend the lead to 19-5.

The final runs of the game were scored by Rivier with six runs, but the possible rally ended there as the Jackets went on to claim the 19-11 shootout victory and the two-game sweep.

Gilliland ended an impressive week at the plate with a three-for-three effort with two runs scored and a RBI.  Levengood also posted three hits and went three-of-four overall with two runs scored and two RBI.  Kohlhofer, Konwinski, Harrington, Reed and freshman Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East) all had two hits in the win.  Stippich ended the game two-of-five and scored three runs.  Kohlhofer and Reed both finished two-of-four with Kohlhofer adding three runs scored and two RBI, while Reed had a run scored and two RBI.  Konwinski finished two-of-three overall in addition to two runs scored and two RBI.  Harrington recorded hits in his two official at-bats in addition to a run scored and a team-high three RBI.

The Jackets would use four pitchers in the game with junior Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) getting the start, and the win, after going five innings allowing no runs and just three hits to go along with two strikeouts.  He improved to 2-0 for the season with the victory.

Defiance will return north to face Taylor (Ind.) University in a single nine-inning game on Tuesday, Mar. 15 in Upland, Ind.  The game is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.