Baseball posts 5-3 win after one-run loss in conference doubleheader

DEFIANCE, Ohio – At home on Saturday for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader, the Defiance College baseball team posted a 5-3 win after a 6-5 loss against the Mount St. Joseph University Lions at Craig A. Rutter Field.

In the second inning of the opener, Mount St. Joseph scored four runs and Defiance three. The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth but the Lions went back on top, 6-4, with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. In the bottom of the ninth, DC pulled to within 6-5 but the contest ended with the tying run on third base and game-winner at first.

Defiance had twice as many hits as MSJU (8-4) but left eight runners on base to the guests' five. There were two errors in the game, both made by Mount St. Joseph.   

At the plate, freshman Billy McNamara led the Yellow Jackets by going 2 for 4 with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored while Colin Minner also laced a two-base hit and scored. Lucas Thomeier knocked in the ninth-inning run with a single and walked twice.

Cohen Nies started on the mound for DC and took the loss after tossing 4.1 innings with two strikeouts. Over the final 4.2 innings, Jack Powell allowed one run on no hits, striking out four with two bases on balls.

Defiance led, 3-0, in game two before the Lions scored twice in the sixth inning to tighten things up. A two-run eighth gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-2 cushion and they were able to hold MSJU to just one run in the ninth.

Mount St. Joseph finished with an 11-9 edge in hits but as in the first game, they were all singles. Each squad stranded nine baserunners and the Lions committed seven of the contest's eight errors, leading to a couple of unearned runs for DC.

Nate Kaffenbarger was credited with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored for Defiance while winning pitcher Lane Good also went 2 for 4, driving in a run and scoring another. Michael Reese stroked an RBI double and Josh Vischer also doubled as both scored a run.

In the pitching department for the winners, Good went five innings with seven strikeouts, giving up two runs. Kendall Duval, Tyler Hines (two strikeouts) and freshman John Hammerstein each threw a scoreless inning before Daniel Tomalak struck out two in recording a save.

The Jackets are 6-20 overall and in HCAC play while Mount St. Joseph is 9-18. DC is scheduled to be at Transylvania University for a 1 p.m. conference twinbill on Sunday.