Timofeev Pitches Jackets Past Albion

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.  --  Defiance won for the third time in as many tries, as it rode the right arm of junior hurler Brad Timofeev to a 3-2 victory over Albion on Thursday. Timofeev pitched into the ninth and held the Briton offense to just two runs on four hits.

The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the second inning and pushed the spread to 3-0 in the fifth. Keith Wade drove home Aaron Stewart with an RBI single in the third, before Kirk Jesse tripled and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Braden Brugler in the top of the fifth. DC then got the eventual game winner when Tim Pitro doubled and scored on a hit from Stewart to make it a 3-0 contest.

Timofeev did the rest, as he did not yield a run to the Albion lineup until allowing a single run in the bottom half of the fifth inning. The DC lead stood at 3-1 into the bottom of the ninth when Timofeev was relieved after the first two Albion batters reached safely.    

The Jackets turned the ball to Stewart and the junior responded by retiring the first three hitters he faced. The Britons did push one run across after a bunt and a sacrifice fly cut the lead to 3-2 with two outs, but Stewart induced a harmless fly out to right field to end the game and preserve the one-run victory for Defiance.

Timofeev was credited with the win after logging eight innings and striking out six batters. Stewart earned the save with the solid effort in the ninth inning.

Pitro and Stewart led the offensive attack for the Defiance, as the duo each collected a pair of hits. Brugler, Stewart and Wade each drove home a run in the win.

Defiance (3-3) will close out its Florida trip on Friday with a doubleheader against Ohio Wesleyan. The Jackets will send Nick Picciano and Brett King to the mound, with the first game set to begin at 9:30 am.