Yellow Jackets Rally for 6-3 Win at Heidelberg

TIFFIN, Ohio  --  Defiance bounced back from an early 3-0 deficit to score six unanswered runs and take a 6-3 non-conference victory at Heidelberg on Wednesday afternoon. Dustin Zizelman tossed 8.2 innings before Tim Pitro slammed the door shut in the ninth for his second save of the year.

The Yellow Jackets found themselves in a quick, 3-0, hole after the first inning as Heidelberg put its first four hitters on base and eventually managed to convert the fast start into a trio of runs.

That was all that Zizelman would yield however, as the sophomore hurler scattered four hits over the remainder of his outing, only allowing one base runner past second base after the first inning.

Defiance wasted little time starting its comeback, as Pitro started the top of the second inning off with a single and came around to score on a Lenny Koesters ground out.                                        

The Jackets chipped into the Heidelberg lead yet again in the third with an unearned tally when Jeremy Hawkins reached base on an error to start the inning. Another Pitro safety put DCs second run of the game on the board as Hawkins scampered home.

The game remained 3-2 until the fifth when Defiance manufactured a pair of runs to grab the 4-3 lead. After a pair of singles from Brad Timofeev and Pitro put runners on the corners with one down, DC tied the game with a perfectly executed double steal. Pitro then advanced the next 180 feet on a pair of wild pitches to give Defiance the one-run lead.

The margin grew to 6-3 in the seventh as RBI singles off the bats of Pitro and David Jackson pushed Hawkins and Mike Hill across.

That proved to be plenty for Zizelman, who shut down a red-hot Heidelberg lineup which entered Wednesday averaging 14.5 runs a game over its last six contests and slugging .488 as a team for the season.

Zizelman cruised into the ninth with the three-run lead and promptly retired the first two batters before a walk and a single signaled the end of his brilliant outing.

Pitro was summoned to record the final out and the freshman did just that, getting the first batter he faced to fly out to Koesters in center field for his second save of the season.

Zizelmans final line showed 8.2 innings of work while allowing just two earned runs on five hits for his first win of the season.

Pitro was credited with the save and also had a big day at the plate, netting four hits in five trips to the dish. Pitro also scored twice and drove home a pair of runs to go with his second stolen base of the year. Hawkins (2-4), Timofeev (2-4) and LeTroy Harris (2-4) each joined Pitro with multi-hit games.

Defiance (5-9) will play its home opener on Friday when it takes on Franklin in the first of a three-game set over the weekend. First pitch is set for 4:00 pm at Craig A. Rutter Field.