Gase throws Game 1 gem, Gephart homers twice in Saturday split at Manchester

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – Playing the team's final road games of the season, the Defiance Yellow Jackets split Saturday's doubleheader against the Manchester Spartans with a  5-1 win and 11-3 loss. The win in Game 1 snapped an eight-game slide for DC and 10-game skid within the HCAC as the Jackets prepare to close the season at home on Sunday afternoon.

Game 1 - Defiance 5, Manchester 1

The Yellow Jackets claimed Game 1 behind a stellar starting effort by junior Josh Gase. He held the Spartans to just two hits through the first seven innings which included five 1-2-3 innings. He also picked up the winning decision, his first pitching victory at DC. Gase totaled 7.1 innings and finished his outing with four hits, one run, one walk, and a pair of strikeouts.

The offense gave him early run support paired with three insurance runs in the late innings. Starting in the third frame, Connor Gephart smashed a two-run homer, his seventh of the campaign. Gephart delivered a third RBI of the game on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly during DC's two-run seventh, which was preceded by an RBI single off the bat of Gunner Gregg. The Jackets tacked on one more in the eighth aided by two Manchester errors, one that put Mitchell Roever on base and another that scored Jacob Hild.

Manchester scored their lone run with two outs in the fifth inning to halve Defiance's 2-0 lead at the time. They applied some pressure against Gase during the eighth inning thanks to two one-out singles before Defiance handed the baseball over to Jeffrey Varga. After a strikeout to his first batter, the junior walked his second hitter before escaping a bases-loaded spot with a grounder to shortstop. In the ninth, Varga navigated around a single to complete a scoreless ninth for the save and his fourth straight scoreless outing.

Game 2 - Manchester 11, Defiance 3

Manchester broke out the bats in Game 2 with big innings to start and close the contest. Starting with three runs in the first, the Spartans hung seven runs in the eighth to break the contest open. The big hit came from Joel Kennedy on a grand slam after three runs already scored in Manchester's last turn at bat. 

Blake Bowman got the start for Defiance and endured five innings, being charged with Manchester's first four runs of the day. He faced the minium through the second, third, and fourth innings before the Spartans scratched one across in the fifth frame. Donovan Armstrong tossed a pair of scoreless innings to take the Jackets into the eighth down by two. The Spartans got to Armstrong in the eighth with three hits and he departed with the Jackets down 5-2. Giving way to Tyler Sickmiller, the Spartans added four more hits and all four runs of the grand slam were charged to Sickmiller.

After Manchester's three-run first, DC got two runs back in the third along with an RBI single from Gregg. Defiance had the bases loaded later in that inning but were unable to come through with two outs. They also had second and third with one out in the sixth before coming up empty. In the ninth, Gephart tagged his second homer of the day to boost his total to eight on the year.

Manchester starter Rocco Hanes slung six innings without allowing an earned run and worked around five walks with six strikeouts. He also earned the winning decision.

BRINGING THE STING

• Connor Gephart went a combined 3-for-8 on the day with three extra-base hits (two home runs and one double). His eight homers this season are one shy of the program's single-season record set by Mike Moorman in 2001 and Jim Beaverson in 1989. His on-base streak is also up to 25 games in a row.
• Gunner Gregg combined to hit 3-for-9 with a double and one walk for the afternoon. He also drove in one run in each contest to total two RBIs for the twin bill.
• Alex Rodriguez III was a tough out in the second contest and recorded a career-best three hits along with a walk. He finished the afternoon 4-for-7.
• Jacob Hild set career-bests in each game by working three walks in each game for a six-walk day. 
• Josh Gase's 7.1 innings was his second-longest of the season and longest start in conference play. It also marked his third quality start of the season (six innings or more allowing three runs or less)
• Jeffrey Varga picked up his second career save and first of the season. Over his last four outings, Varga has tossed seven consecutive scoreless innings and allowed just one hit over that span.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets host Earlham for an HCAC doubleheader to conclude the season on Sunday afternoon. It will also be Senior Day and DC's last home athletic event as a member of the HCAC and NCAA Division III. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Rutter Field.

-JACKETS-