Jackets turned away by Cleary on Saturday

HOWELL, Mich. - The Defiance Yellow Jackets failed to keep pace with the Cleary Cougars at Lake Trust Stadium on Saturday and were dealt a pair of losses, 11-6 and 14-4.

After two series splits to start conference play, the Yellow Jackets (9-20, 2-6 WHAC) have lost their last four ballgames during the current 8-game road swing. The Cougars (16-10, 6-4 WHAC), who own the WHAC's second-best team batting average, pounded out 27 total hits and scored 25 runs in 14 innings of action.

Game 1 - Cleary 11, Defiance 6
The Yellow Jackets struck in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Hayden Kanagy, but the Cougars responded with the next 11 runs of the game. Cleary posted a 3-run first and 4-run second by using 8 singles and a pair of walks. The Cougars needed just one hit to produce their next 3 runs. Defiance erupted with 5 runs in the top of the seventh starting with singles by Dylan Barger and Anthony Silvera Jr. With two outs, Bradyn Shaw tripled in 3 runs followed by RBI singles by Connor Gephart and Logan Hudson before the 10-hitter inning was ended to close the game.

Game 2 - Cleary 14, Defiance 4
The Cougars' bats scored in 5 of 6 chances at the plate in the second contest that included a 6-0 lead through 2 innings. Starting with a 2-run knock in the first, the Cougars used 3 hit batters and 3 hits to produce a 4-run frame. Cleary's Brendan Seman tripled in consecutive innings as part of a 5-for-5, 4 RBI performance, including Cleary's second 4-run frame of the game during the fourth. Seman's final hit of the game delivered Cleary's 14th run of the game in the fifth frame. Caleb Wurster broke up the shutout for Defiance with a bases-loaded walk in the third, starting a 2-run frame, and he created another run on a mishandled grounder in the seventh. Elisa Marquez and Jayden Schtechsulte also contributed RBIs with sacrifice flies.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Anthony Silvera Jr. extended his on-base streak to 11 games with a 3-hit performance to start the afternoon and reached base 3 more times in Game 2 with a walk and 2 hit-by-pitches.
• Bradyn Shaw was the lone Yellow Jacket to post a hit in each game, going a combined 3-for-7 and become the first player to reach 20 RBIs on the season. Shaw also played his fourth consecutive game at shortstop after splitting time at second and pitching to start conference play.
• Connor Gephart clubbed a pair of hits in Game 1 to surpass 100 career hits. He also worked a walk during the second game to increase his on-base streak to 9 games.
• Dylan Barger's 2-for-4 showing during the first contest was his first multi-hit game of the season.

UP NEXT
Defiance continues its 4-game series with the Cougars on Sunday afternoon, playing a doubleheader at Lake Turst Stadium at 1 p.m.

-JACKETS-