Gephart slams two homers in Georgia, Toccoa Falls tops DC twice

EMERSON, Ga. – An eventful week dodging raindrops finished with two losses in the spring break finale for the Defiance Yellow Jackets, falling by scores of 2-1 and 12-6 against the Toccoa Falls Screaming Eagles at LakePoint Sports Baseball Village on Friday.

DC closed the trip 0-4 while Toccoa Falls improved to 9-8 on the young campaign. 

Game 1 - Toccoa Falls 2, Defiance 1

The first contest featured just seven combined hits and the Yellow Jackets stranded the bases loaded in the one-run defeat, 2-1. Through two dates on the field, the Jackets' first game of each doubleheader has been a one-run loss.

DC manufactured the first run of the game after Gunner Gregg singled to start the second inning, stole second base, and was bunted over the third by Tyler Dehan. Jack Brubaker-Flood brought Gregg in on a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 1-0 Defiance. Gregg and Brubaker-Flood each added hits during the top of the seventh before Tim Bobek drew a two-out walk to fill the sacks prior to a fly out to end the contest.

Pitching was stellar on both sides. Defiance's Aiden Behrman made his collegiate debut and turned in four innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts to one walk. The Screaming Eagles churned out single runs in each the third and fourth on RBI doubles. Logan Kunkel turned in two perfect innings of relief. Toccoa Falls starter Josh Henshaw fired six one-hit, one-run frames and fanned five Yellow Jackets. Hunter Tatum and Joshua Ramey teamed up to close out the final inning and preserved the win for Henshaw.

Game 2 - Toccoa Falls 12, Defiance 6

The bats broke out in the second affair highlighted by Connor Gephart's two solo home runs. Toccoa Falls used a five-run third inning to take their first lead of the contest and added five more over their next two turns at the plate to put the final touches on a 12-6 victory.

Defiance and Toccoa Falls exchanged two runs apiece in the first inning. DC scored the first run of the contest when Gephart was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. On the next at-bat by Bobek, the Eagles cut down a run at the plate with a fielder's choice but picked up a two-out run on a passed ball. Toccoa Falls answered in the home half of the first to even the score at 2-2.

Gephart's first home of the game broke the 2-2 tie in the third, but a Toccoa Falls two-run triple, sacrifice fly, and two-run homer put the Eagles up 7-3. The big hits forced an early exit from Johnny Hammerstein after 2.2 innings and bore seven earned runs. The Jackets got two runs back in the fourth frame on an RBI single by Dehan and a Gregg RBI groundout. After Toccoa Falls smacked their second homer of the contest, a two-run shot in the fourth, Gephart responded with his second blast of the afternoon to lead off the fifth.

The Eagles tacked on three more in the home half of the fifth to finish the scoring for the game. DC's Zach Stokoe and Carter Kennon each turned in scoreless efforts in the relief over the final 1.1 frames in their debuts in purple and gold.

BRINGING THE STING

• Connor Gephart stands as the only Yellow Jacket to reach base in all four games so far. He leads the team with four RBIs and is 5-for-12 with two homers, a double and three walks to open the campaign.
• Logan Kunkel dropped his ERA to 3.60 after going six-up and six-down in his relief effort.
• Tyler Dehan boosted his season total in RBIs to three during the second contest and reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks. His three walks on the trip were tied for the team lead.
• Gunner Gregg recorded his second multi-hit game over the first three of the year with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate in game one. Gregg entered the second game 5-for-12 before going 0-for-4.
• Jack Brubaker-Flood recorded his first collegiate hit during the first contest. 
• Jacob Hild connected on one base hit in the second contest, giving him at least one knock in 3 of 4 games to start the season.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets are slated to play their first home game of the season on Wednesday afternoon against Wright State-Lake. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Rutter Field in Defiance.

-JACKETS-