Bratt's Complete Game Gem Leads DC Past Bluffton

BLUFFTON, Ohio – Nicholas Bratt tossed his first collegiate complete game and the Yellow Jackets evened their record at 8-8 overall and 2-2 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 5-2 victory at Bluffton on Wednesday.

The Beavers struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning but the Defiance offense came alive with two outs in the top of the third frame. The Jackets capitalized on a bout of wildness from BU's pitcher, as Bryn Lehman and Kirk Jesse each worked two-out walks before Brent Kremer laced a two-run double and came in to score on a throwing error from the Bluffton catcher.

The Jackets extended their 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth after Casey Kahsen and Zach Stallkamp opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Kahsen would score on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Alex Timofeev would plate Stallkamp to give Defiance the 5-2 edge.

Bratt (3-0) took care of the rest, as the sophomore hurler held Bluffton scoreless over the final seven innings to make the lead hold up. Bratt earned his third victory of the season by working all nine innings and holding BU to just eight hits and two runs.

Bratt now leads the team with three victories on the mound and also tops the Jacket pitchers with 26.2 innings of work and a .235 batting average against.

Defiance (8-8, 2-2 HCAC) will remain on the road for a three-game series at Franklin (10-5, 0-0 HCAC) this weekend. The Jackets and Grizzlies will play a pair of games on Friday with the first pitch set for 1:00 pm, before squaring off for a single game at noon on Saturday.