Jackets Waste Nine-Run First in Loss to MSJ

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College baseball team put nine runs on the board in the first inning to build a 9-0 lead but managed just one run on four hits the rest of the way and suffered an 11-10 loss against Mount St. Joseph. Friday's second game was postponed and will be made up on Saturday as part of a doubleheader at Rutter Field.

The Jackets used a patient approach at the plate to capitalize on a shaky start from MSJ's Ben Hunterman. The Lions' hurler issued four walks to the first eight batters and only managed to record one out. Defiance got RBI's from Tim Pitro, Keith Wade, Michael Dushane and Ben Gates in the inning and saw seven of its first eight hitters come around to score, with Dushane scoring twice to help grab the nine-run lead.

The Mount settled in after the rocky first inning and scored a single run in the second, before adding four more in the top of the third to trim the deficit to 9-5.

After a sacrifice fly from Gates in the bottom half made it 10-5 in favor of the Jackets, MSJ broke loose for six in the top of the fourth to claim the 11-10 lead.

That would end up being the final tally, as George Raggets, Bryan Farrell and Steve Marte held the DC offense to just one hit over the final four innings to secure the come-from-behind victory for the Lions.

Raggets (1-0) earned the win for MSJ, while Marte picked up his 12th save of the season. Brett Belew (0-1) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets.

Dushane and Gates provided the offensive spark from the top two lineup spots, combining for five hits in seven at bats and adding three runs and four RBI. Pitro added a pair of RBI and Alex Timofeev scored twice.

Tim Henneman pitched well in relief for Defiance, working the final 3.1 innings and limiting Mount St. Joseph to just one hit, while striking out three.

Defiance (5-19, 1-7 HCAC) and MSJ (16-9, 9-4 HCAC) will play a pair of games on Saturday, with the first pitch set for 12:00 pm