Jackets swallow two tough defeats against Cornerstone

DEFIANCE, Ohio - In an intense WHAC doubleheader held at Defiance High School on Saturday, the Defiance Yellow Jackets were bested by the Cornerstone Golden Eagles in both games by scores of 13-3 and 9-8 in 11 innings.

After some crooked innings in the first game allowed the Golden Eagles (8-28, 8-12 WHAC) soar to victory, the Yellow Jackets (10-26, 2-14 WHAC) held the upper hand for much of the second contest. However, Cornerstone was able to force extra innings and prevailed to sweep the day.

Game 1: Cornerstone 13, Defiance 3
The first game saw the Golden Eagles capitalize with two six-run innings to create an early cushion. Their six-run second knocked out Defiance starter Jeffrey Varga, but the Yellow Jackets offense got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Cornerstone's Matthew Kindley and DC's Connor Gephart traded solo homers in the fourth but the Eagles' Corbin Westerkamp started his monster afternoon with a three-run blast to start his team's six-run fifth.

Game 2: Cornerstone 9, Defiance 8 (11 inn.)
Game two was a nail-biter, extending into extra innings, that was fitting for the back-and-forth affair. Defiance showcased early resilience in shaking off the first game by posting three runs in their half of the first. Gunner Gregg held the Golden Eagles in check during his strong effort on the hill until the sixth inning, where Cornerstone scored four times with three coming in on Westerkamp's go-ahead, three-run homer for his second homer of the day. Tyler Sickmiller relieved Gregg with one out and induced a double play to get out of the jam, a trick the senior also used to finish a clean seventh frame. Anthony Silvera Jr. and Gunner Gregg delivered RBI knocks in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5. In the eighth, the Jackets rallied for three on Gephart's third hit of the contest and a two-run hit by Gregg.

Cornerstone stunned DC with three runs in the ninth to tie the contest again at 8-8. The score remained deadlocked until the top of the 11th. With runners on first and second, Cam Keatley shot a single into left field and Drew Goodman sprinted for home and was ruled safe at home despite a strong, on-target throw from the outfield by Tyler Dehan. The close call wound up being the difference in the ballgame.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Defiance's 11 hits in the second game broke a string of five straight games with four hits or less.
• The loss brings the Yellow Jackets slide to six straight games.
• Connor Gephart led DC with four hits on the afternoon, finishing 4-for-7 with two RBIs and scored four of DC's 11 runs. He has hit safely in four straight games with 15 straight games on base. 
• Jacob Hild posted his team-best 10th multi-hit game in the second game. He went 3-for-6 with three walks across both games.
• Mitchell Roever also recorded hits in each game, going 2-for-6 with a walk.
• Dylan Barger delivered two solid hits in the second game and went 2-for-5 plus a hit-by-pitch.
• Gunner Gregg now leads the team in RBIs following a three-RBI effort in the second game. He also struck out four hitters across 5.1 innings of work on the mound in the second game.
• Tyler Sickmiller continues to throw up zeroes in conference play with his seventh scoreless outing of the season. He has yet to yield a run in 7.1 innings against WHAC programs.
• Aiden Behrman provided 1.1 hitless innings of relief in the second game despite two inherited runners scoring in the ninth after he was pulled for Andy Yoder.
• Aerion Gipson and Damarius Taylor teamed up to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in the first game and struck out two batters each.

UP NEXT
Defiance is back in action on Sunday when they host the Concordia Cardinals. First pitch at Defiance High School is scheduled for 1 p.m. and it will also include Autism Acceptance Day hosted by the Defiance College Autism Studies program.

-JACKETS-