Yellow Jackets suffer heartbreaking 12-10 loss in series finale to Transylvania

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance Yellow Jackets emerged with the lead after an offensive showcase through the first four innings but the Transylvania Pioneers plated six runs in the final two innings to sweep the weekend series, 12-10.

The loss for Defiance drops the Yellow Jackets to 6-22 and 1-14 in the conference while the Pioneers improve to 26-6 and 13-3 in the league.

The contest featured 31 hits, three ties, and three lead changes. With the game freshly tied 9-9 in the ninth inning, Defiance nearly escaped a bases-loaded situation when Elisa Marquez snagged a line drive for the second out and the runner at second just beat her throw attempting to double up the runner. The next batter hit a fly ball to right-center field that dropped in between two DC defenders in the outfield and cleared the bases due to an error. The Jackets got one run back in the bottom of the ninth and had another throw out at the plate to ultimately fall short of their first home win since May 2022.

With the wind blowing out to center, extra-base hits came in droves for each side. Defiance racked up five while Transylvania compiled seven for the afternoon. The first 14 of 22 total runs were scored over the first our innings of play, including a pair of three spots by each side. Defiance grabbed the lead in the first with a trifecta followed by six runs combined over the second and third frames to spoil a 1-2-3 start to the game by Yellow Jacket starter Blake Bowman.

Defiance turned the ball over to Johnny Hammerstein in the fourth inning and he silenced the opponent's bats over the next four frames. After Hammerstein escaped the fourth inning with a pair of runners on base, the Jackets jumped out front with their second big inning of the day. Following walks by Alex Iserman and Jacob Hild, Gunner Gregg launched a two-out, three-run homer off the scoreboard in left field to lift Defiance back to the lead, 8-6. Hammerstein kept the lead intact for the entirety of his outing, which included a bases-loaded spot with out in the fifth and runners in scoring position in each the sixth and seventh. 

After terrific relief from Hammerstein and Dehan, Gregg got the ball for the ninth inning. He hit his first batter and allowed a single before a bunt attempt was popped up to the catcher for the first out. The top of Transylvania's lineup delivered RBI hits to tie the game before the flyball error cleared the bases.

BRINGING THE STING

• Gunner Gregg fell a triple shy of the cycle with a 3-for-4 game featuring three RBIs and his third homer of the season. He finished the weekend 7-for-13 with four RBIs, two doubles, and one homer.
• Johnny Hammerstein departed in line for the win and kept the Pioneers at bay with four scoreless innings. He logged a number of high-leverage outs and stranded at least one runner in scoring position during each scoreless frame. He ended the day with one run allowed over 4.1 innings, struck out four and walked three.
• Connor Gephart logged a three-hit day in five total at-bats and put the Jackets on the board in the first with an RBI double. He pushed his on-base streak to 19 games and went 5-for-13 for the series with two walks and two doubles.
• Jack Brubaker-Flood logged a career-best three RBIs, including a two-run single in the first inning and produced a run on a double in the third. On the afternoon, the freshman logged his fourth multi-hit game by going 2-for-5.
• Alex Rodriguez III also collected multiple hits and added a crucial RBI knock with an infield single with two outs in the seventh. His 2-for-4 performance at the dish was his third multi-hit game this year.
• Tyler Dehan worked Defiance out of a critical spot in the eighth inning and induced an inning-ending 3-6-3 double play. He stayed in the game to play right field and started the ninth inning with a leadoff single to center for his only plate appearance of the game.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets travel to Ada to take on the Ohio Northern Polar Bears on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

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