DC Edged Out by Transylvania in Extras

LEXINGTON, KY.  --  Despite leading for the majority of the game, a late nine-run inning by Transylvania (Ky.) University led to a 15-14 defeat for the Defiance College baseball team in extra innings at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

Offense was the name of the game as both teams combined for 34 total hits with 17 hits apiece.  Defiance had two players record three hits each in sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance) and freshman Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East).  Gentile had three hits in seven at-bats and also scored three runs and one RBI.  Stippich posted a three-of-five effort in addition to two runs scored.

Seniors Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake), Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto) along with junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) and freshmen Michael Gilliland (Napoleon) and Tyler Weaver (Defiance) all had a pair of hits.  Levengood and Gilliland both scored two runs in addition to two RBI.  Kohlhofer also scored a pair of runs to go along with a RBI.  Reed added a run scored and RBI to accompany his two hits.

Transylvania (8-10, 4-2 HCAC) scored first with four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Defiance (9-8, 2-3 HCAC) then scored a combined seven unanswered runs over the next three innings beginning with a four-run second inning that included a RBI-triple by Gentile and a RBI-single by Levengood.

The Yellow Jackets then plated a run in the third on a RBI-single by Weaver which was set up by a Stippich triple in the previous at-bat making the score 5-4.  DC then added to more runs in the fourth on a RBI-base hit by junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) and a sacrifice fly by senior Ben Weber (Troy/Lehman Catholic).  The Pioneers got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but DC looked to blow the game open with six runs in the fifth highlighted by a pair of two-RBI hits by Gilliland and Weaver that increased the margin to 13-5.

Momentum then swung in favor of Transylvania as the Pioneers exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth and jumped ahead on the scoreboard, 14-13.  Then in the top of the eighth inning, the Jackets got the game-tying run across homeplate with back-to-back doubles by Reed and Kohlhofer.  Neither team would plate a possible game-winning run in regulation, forcing the game into extra innings tied at 14-14.

In the top of the 10th, Defiance got the potential go-ahead run to third base, but would do so with two outs on the board and the Pioneers recorded the final out of the inning before the run could score, keeping the teams deadlocked in a tie.  The game remained tied at 14-14 heading into the bottom of the 11th inning when Transylvania managed to apply pressure with bases loaded and only one out.  Following a bunt that stayed fair down the first base line to load the bases, the Pioneers took the game on a sacrifice fly to deep right field for the 15-14 victory.

Junior Dave Blanch (Alliston, Ont./Banting Memorial) started on the mound for Defiance and pitched five innings, allowing eight runs, four earned, on 12 hits and had two strikeouts, but would end up with a no decision.  Senior Chris Douglas (Wixom, Mich./Walled Lake Western) was one of three relief pitchers to see action and would be the pitcher of record going two and two-thirds innings, giving up one run and a hit, while striking out two batters.  Douglas falls to 0-1 overall for the season with the loss.

Defiance and Transylvania are scheduled to square off again tomorrow (Saturday, Apr. 2) in a HCAC twinbill at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.  The first game is slated to begin at noon.