Jackets Hold Off Albion for Non-Conference Victory

ALBION, Mich. – The Defiance College baseball team got another solid pitching performance and backed it up with a two-run first inning and a three-run sixth to score a 5-4 victory at Albion on Tuesday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets never trailed in the contest and moved to 7-6 on the year in non-conference action.

DC got things going in the top of the first inning, as Bryn Lehman and Darin Waterman singled with one out to ignite the early rally. Andy Habecker then singled home Lehman for the 1-0 advantage, before Waterman came home on a sacrifice fly out off the bat of Brad Kremer.

The 2-0 lead would swell to a five-run cushion for the Purple and Gold in the sixth inning, after Waterman and Habecker started things with one out singles. Defiance followed with run-scoring doubles from Kremer and Levi Pauli, before Brent Kremer dumped an RBI single into center field for the 5-0 lead.

Albion (6-9) stormed back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to claw back to within two and added a run in the seventh inning to cut DC's edge to 5-4.

The Jackets held off any further AC rallies however, stranding Briton runners at second and third base in the bottom of the eighth and ending the game with an Albion runner on third base in the ninth.

Ryan McLaughlin (2-1) turned in his second quality start in a row with six efficient innings on the bump for Defiance. The junior allowed two earned runs on four hits and did not issue a walk, en route to notching his second-straight win.

Defiance backed up McLaughlin's outing by using Brett Belew, Habecker and Alex Schomaeker for one inning each out of the pen to nail down the victory. Schomaeker worked the final frame to record his first collegiate save.

Waterman notched his ninth multi-hit game of the year with a pair of singles and came around to score twice. Habecker also had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Brent Kremer continued his recent surge at the plate with two hits and one run batted in. Brad Kremer collected one hit and knocked in two RBI.

The Jackets (7-9, 0-3 HCAC) will get back into conference play on Saturday, when they host Transylvania (7-9, 2-2 HCAC) for a pair of games beginning at noon.