Yellow Jackets Fall Short of Spartans

NORTH MANCHESTER, IND.  --  The Defiance College baseball team came up short of Manchester (Ind.) University, 8-6, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference single game in North Manchester, Ind.

Defiance (9-7, 2-2 HCAC) got off to a quick start by plating four runs in the top of the first inning that was highlighted by a RBI-double by junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins).  Manchester (9-8, 3-1 HCAC) made a dent in the Yellow Jacket lead with three runs in the third that included a two-run homerun, making the score 4-3.

Defiance got some breathing room in the fourth inning which began with a double by freshman Michael Gilliland (Napoleon).  Two batters later, Gilliland crossed home plate on a pop-up by junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) for a 5-3 advantage.  The Spartans took the lead in the fifth with their second three-run inning which came on back-to-back homeruns, a two-run homer and a solo shot, putting Manchester ahead, 6-5.

Both teams traded runs in the seventh with Defiance's run coming on a RBI-double by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance), but Manchester would still maintain its one-run margin at the end of the inning, 7-6.  The run by the Jackets would turn out to be the final run of the game for DC as the Spartans tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with its fourth homerun of the day, another solo homerun, as the Spartans went on to claim the 8-6 victory.

Defiance had nine hits in the game led by senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) who had a game-high four hits in five at-bats to go along with a pair of runs scored.  Harrington ended the day two-of-four with a run scored and RBI.  Gentile rounded out the multi-hitters with a two-of-five effort in addition to a run scored and RBI.

At pitcher, sophomore Jacob Green (Defiance) started the game and pitched six complete innings allowing six runs on 10 hits and had six strikeouts.  Fellow sophomore Cody Nelson (Clayton, Mich./Hudson) came on to pitch an inning of relief and would end up as the pitcher of record and was credited with the loss, dropping him to 2-1 overall for the year.  Junior Nick Watkins (Lima/Central Catholic) finished the game and gave up one run on one hit.

Defiance will next travel to Lexington, Ky. for a HCAC three-game series against Transylvania (Ky.) University on Friday-Saturday, Apr. 1-2.  The two teams will begin the series with a single nine-inning game on Friday with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.