Jackets Cough Up Eight-Run Lead in Loss at Earlham

RICHMOND, Ind. – Defiance opened a weekend set at Earlham by jumping one of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's top-rated pitching staffs for eight runs in the first two innings but could not hold on, as the Quakers stormed back for the 12-9 win on Friday. 

The Jackets opened with a pair of runs in the first and exploded for six runs in the second inning to take the commanding, 8-0, cushion. Darin Waterman delivered the big blow in the rally with a two-run double to help DC cash in on three hits and a pair of Earlham fielding blunders in the frame.

DC notched its ninth run of the evening in the top of the fifth, as Aaron Helland doubled and came around to cross home plate on a single off the bat of Dave Riley. The fifth-inning run gave the Purple and Gold a 9-2 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.

It would be all Earlham from that point on however, as the Quakers score 10 unanswered runs over the next three frames to storm back and claim a three-run advantage after seven innings of play, before finishing off the 12-9 victory.

The game was decided by the bullpens, as the Earlham relievers slowed the DC bats after a quick start by the Jackets. The EC pen combined to hold Defiance to one run over the final seven innings, while the Jacket relievers were tagged for eight runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings.

Chris Donese and Helland led the offense with two hits apiece, while combining to score three times. Waterman and Brent Kremer added two runs batted in each and Riley reached three times, scored once and drove home one.

Defiance (8-18, 1-11 HCAC) and Earlham (13-13, 3-9 HCAC) will play two more games on Saturday, with the first slated to begin at noon.