Yellow Jackets swept at Rio Grande

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The Defiance Yellow Jackets came up short in four close ballgames against the Rio Grande Red Storm at Bob Evans Field.

The Yellow Jackets (2-10) suffered their first sweep of the campaign with 3 of 4 games decided by 3 runs or less.

Game 1 - Rio Grande 6, Defiance 3
A well-pitched game to start the game, Defiance overcame a 2-0 hole with a 3-run fifth inning. Starting with a Brady Fallon RBI single, Connor Gephart slugged a 2-run double to give the Jackets their first lead of the series. Starting pitcher Blake Bowman labored through 7 walks over 5.1 innings, holding the Red Storm 2 runs until the sixth when four runs crossed against him and Aiden Behrman.

Game 2 - Rio Grande 6, Defiance 1
Rio Grande starter Logan Martin held Defiance off the scoreboard through 5 scoreless innings and struck out 8 Yellow Jackets, and he departed with a 4-0 lead. Defiance avoided the shutout in the sixth inning when Logan Hudson delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Caleb Wurster, who walked 3 times in the series opener. DC starter Brez Zipfel was plagued by 4 walks over 3.2 innings, and reliever Colin Danek surrendered a two-run homer in the sixth but held the Red Storm to 2 hits over 2.1 innings.

Game 3 - Rio Grande 5, Defiance 3
Defiance faced another strong pitching effort by Rio Grande, who held the Jackets hitless until the fourth inning while Bradyn Shaw kept DC close in a 1-0 game. The Red Storm erupted for 4 runs in the fifth frame on a 3-run homer and an RBI double. DC got 3 runs back in the sixth, starting with an RBI single by Dylan Barger. Defiance worked the tying run on base in seventh inning but were unable to push those runners across before the final out was recorded.

Game 4 - Rio Grande 6, Defiance 5
DC held the lead for much of the game but saw that advantage slip away in a walk-off defeat. The Jackets built a 3-run advantage in the second with RBIs from James Mahon and Lane Wolfe, and Dominic Jarjis got Rio's 2 runs scored back for DC in the third with a 2-run single. The Red Storm climbed one run closer in the third with a solo home run but used a sacrifice fly and an error in the fifth to push across the tying runs. In the bottom of the seventh tied 5-5, Caleb Asjes smacked a game-winning single to lift Rio Grande to claim the fourth game of the weekend.

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets head to Georgia next weekend with a visit to Toccoa Falls for a four-game series beginning on Friday.

-JACKETS-