Defiance Baseball Edged by Bluffton

DEFIANCE, OHIO  --  The Defiance College baseball team racked up 15 hits, but would only plate four runs as the Yellow Jackets fell to Bluffton University, 6-4, in the first of three meetings this season in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action at Craig A. Rutter Field.

Bluffton (9-16, 4-8 HCAC) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with runs in the top of the second and third innings.  Defiance (13-11, 6-6 HCAC) evened things up with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third thanks to a RBI-double by senior Ryan Kohlhofer (Walbridge/Lake) and and a RBI-single by fellow senior Gary Levengood (Beverly Hills, Fla./Lecanto).  

The Beavers then regained the lead in their very next at-bats by plating three runs in the fourth for a 5-2 advantage.  DC rebounded with a run in the bottom of the frame as the result of a single by junior Zack Reed (Midland, Mich./Bullock Creek) to pull the Jackets to within a pair of runs, 5-3.  

In the bottom of the fifth, DC looked to be in prime position to tie the game or perhaps take the lead with bases loaded on three consecutive base hits by Levengood, junior Quinten Harrington (Sandusky/Perkins) and senior Ben Weber (Troy/Lehman Catholic).  But before any runs crossed homeplate, the Jackets hit into back-to-back outs to end the inning and ending the possible scoring threat.

Despite the missed opportunity, Defiance crept closer with a run in the sixth thanks to a base hit by sophomore Dom Gentile (Defiance) that made the score 5-4.  The deficit remained a run until the top of the eighth when Bluffton scored an insurance run that came on a defensive error, increasing the margin back to two runs, 6-4.  

The run by Bluffton turned out to be the final run of the game as the Beavers held off the Yellow Jackets for a 6-4 final.

DC had three players record three hits in the game, led by freshman Tanner Stippich (Lima/Allen East) who went three-of-four and scored three runs.  Levengood and Harrington both ended the game three-of-five at the plate and Levengood also added a RBI.  Kohlhofer and Gentile both had two hits in five at-bats to round out the multi-hitters.  Kohlhofer also scored a runs and a RBI, while Gentile had a RBI.

On the mound, sophomore Izzy Martinez (Defiance/Tinora) got the start and pitched four innings allowing five runs, two earned, on four hits and had two strikeouts.  He was also credited with the loss and is now 0-1 overall for the season.  Freshman Bryce Alabata (Bryan) came on in relief and finished the game giving up an unearned run on four hits and posted two strikeouts in five innings.

Defiance will next travel to Richmond, Ind. for a HCAC three-game series against Earlham (Ind.) College begining on Friday, Apr. 15.  The two teams will square off in a single nine-inning game on Friday with the first pitch slated for 4 p.m.