McNamara's blast gives Yellow Jackets second walk-off win of the week

A walk-off home run by sophomore Billy McNamara gave the Defiance baseball team a 6-5 win over Pitt-Bradford in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon. Prior to the contest against the Panthers, the Yellow Jackets faced Hiram and were defeated 14-4. Both games were played on the campus of Baldwin Wallace.

The Hiram Game

The Basics

• Records: Defiance (3-6) Hiram (4-7)
• Location: Fisher Field - Berea, Ohio

Inside The Numbers

• Nate Kaffenbarger had a triple and a double.
• Sophomore Trent Murdock also doubled.
• Cohen Nies got the start on the mound and fanned seven batters in four innings.
• Connor Bansek led Hiram with two hits.
• Four different Terriers had two RBIs.
• Stephen Javorek earned the win for the Terriers.

The Difference

• Kaffenbarger put the Yellow Jackets up 2-0 in the first after he drove in a run with a triple to center field and then scored on a passed ball.
• Defiance added another run in the third off an RBI groundout from Alex Morr and another in the fourth when McNamara singled in a run.
• Hiram scored two in their half of the fourth to cut the lead to 4-2.
• Following a roughly twenty-five-minute rain delay, the Terriers scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead.
• Hiram put the game away with five additional runs in the sixth inning.

The Pitt-Bradford Game

The Basics

• Records: Defiance (4-6) Pitt-Bradford (6-7)
• Location: Fisher Field - Berea, Ohio

Inside The Numbers

• Freshman Tyler Dehan went 3-4 to lead the Defiance offense.
• Morr and Murdock each drove in two runs.
• McNamara and sophomore Hunter Bostater each drew two walks.
• Freshman Sam Thombs started for the Yellow Jackets and struck out 10 batters in six innings.
• Senior Tyler Hines earned his first career win.
• Evan Fragela and Kevin Rehak each had two hits for the Panthers.
• Alex Fetter took the loss after giving up McNamara's home run.

The Difference

• Fragela homered in the first to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before Morr drove in a run with a ground out in the bottom of the frame.
• The lead was extended to 3-1 in the top of the third but Murdock tied the game with a two-run single to right field in the bottom of the inning.
• Defiance went ahead 4-3 thanks to a Pitt-Bradford throwing error but the Panthers tied the game in the seventh and took the lead in the eighth off a solo home run by Justin Dattoli.
• With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth Morr tied the game by beating out an infield single to the second baseman.
• Hines entered the game in the ninth and got two quick outs before walking Rehak who was then caught leading a little too far by Hines and was put out at second base in a rundown.
• With two outs in the bottom of the ninth McNamara hit his first career home run to give the Yellow Jackets their second walk-off win of the week.

Up Next

• Defiance will conclude their long road trip tomorrow morning when they face Baldwin Wallace in a battle of the Yellow Jackets. First pitch is set for 9 a.m.