Jackets secure second straight victory after Gregg shuts door on Indiana Tech

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Early offense and a late-inning walk on the tightrope lifted the Defiance Yellow Jackets to a 5-4 victory while the Indiana Tech Warriors left the winning run on base on Wednesday at Warrior Baseball Field.

The win gives the Jackets consecutive wins for the first time since sweeping a St. Patrick's Day doubleheader last spring and also matched the team's win total from last season. Defiance is now 4-16 overall while Indiana Tech's 11-game winning streak was snapped to fall to 17-18. Scheduled to be a doubleheader, the second contest was wiped out due to rain.

Gunner Gregg locked down his fourth save of the season but had to earn it as Indiana Tech threatened DC's one-run cushion in the last of the seventh inning. Gregg struck out the leadoff hitter before issuing back-to-back walks. He bounced back with another punchout before inducing a game-ending flyout to close out the win. 

Gregg was involved during early offense to help Defiance build a 3-0 lead. He started the two-run first inning with a leadoff double and scored the first run of the contest when Trent Murdock doubled him in two batters later. Jacob Hild followed Murdock with an RBI single, his first of two hits in the contest. 

After the Jackets tacked on an unearned run in the fourth to go up by three runs, the Warriors plated three in the bottom of the fourth to knock out starter Donovan Armstrong. Armstrong maneuvered through the first three innings without allowing a hit, but a leadoff single broke up that streak bookended by an RBI double four hitters later. Defiance called upon Jeffrey Varga in relief to escape the inning with the score tied 3-3.

Defiance secured the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning on a RBI groundout by Tim Bobek. Alex Rodriguez III delivered an RBI single to increase the lead to 5-3.

BRINGING THE STING

• Gunner Gregg went 2-for-4 with two doubles and scored twice from the leadoff spot while earning his fourth save of the year, tied for fifth-most in a season by a DC reliever.
• Jacob Hild and Trent Murdock each recorded a double among their two-hit games.
• Connor Gephart drew two walks and increased his on-base streak to 11 games.
• Defiance's five doubles were the most in a game so far this season.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets return to conference play against HCAC foe Anderson over the weekend. The first of a three-game series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.

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