Yellow Jackets fall to Earlham in HCAC opener

RICHMOND, Ind. - The Defiance College Yellow Jackets fell to Earlham 12-3 Friday evening after a late scoring flurry by the Quakers in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener.

The Yellow Jackets (6-6, 0-1 HCAC) and Quakers (9-3, 1-0 HCAC) were tied at two heading into the seventh inning, but it was the home team who took the lead coming out of the seventh inning stretch and added a rally in the eighth to secure the victory.

Earlham score two runs in the seventh on four hits and a pair of sacrifice bunts. The runs proved to be enough in the game as the Yellow Jackets could only answer with one run in the eighth before being shut out in the ninth.

With Gary Levengood on second base following a single and a ground out that advanced him into scoring position, Brandon Riley hit a pinch hit single to put runners on the corners. Levengood then jogged home after a balk by the Earlham pitcher. The run cut the deficit to one as DC went to the bottom of the eighth inning trailing 4-3.

The Yellow Jackets were unable to hold the gap though, as Earlham batted around in the bottom half of the inning on the way to plating eight runs.

Defiance got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning. Darin Waterman picked up the third straight single to start the game, scoring Aaron Helland from third.

DC had a chance to add more runs early on as Levengood walked the bases loaded with one out. However, back-to-back strikeouts stranded the bases loaded for DC.

Earlham answered in the bottom of the first, tying the game after consecutive doubles into left field.

Following a scoreless second inning, Defiance took the lead with a run on two hits in the third inning. Joel Musser reached with a two-out double and Zach Reed followed it up with a RBI single to left field.

Solid pitching from Waterman and a good defense held the Yellow Jackets lead through the middle innings before Earlham plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at two.

Waterman finished with a no decision after pitching six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out three.

Aaron Paprocki picked up the loss for DC, falling to 1-1 on the season after giving up two runs in the seventh and the first two runs in the eighth inning.

Defiance finished with 10 hits in the game. Musser, Reed and Ryan Kohlhofer each had two hits in the game. 

Waterman extended his reached base streak to begin the season to 12 games. Dating back to last season, the streak is now 33 games as Waterman closed 2013 on a 21-game streak.

Kohlhofer also extended his streak to 43 at bats to begin the season without a strike out. Kohlhofer has 34 official at bats in 2014 along with eight walks and a sacrifice fly.

Defiance will return to action Saturday with a double header against Earlham set to begin at noon.