Jackets close wild doubleheader with walk-off win over Lawrence Tech
UTICA, Mich. – The Defiance Yellow Jackets split Monday's doubleheader with the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils, losing 7-4 before a 17-16 win, at UWM Field.
With the win, the Yellow Jackets (11-22, 4-8 WHAC) collected a crucial conference win as a potential logjam in the conference standings starts to take shape down the season's home stretch.
Game 1 - Lawrence Tech 7, Defiance 4
The Blue Devils held off a late Yellow Jacket rally in the first contest and rode a strong starting effort by Dominic Miller (Win, 3-2). Logan Rosenberger put Defiance on the board in the first on a bases-loaded groundout, but that was their lone run against Miller in his 5 innings on the hill. Lawrence Tech posted a 3-run first to claim the upper hand with the help of a pair of DC errors. LTU then created 2 more runs in the fourth with an RBI triple and a squeeze play to lead 5-1. Defiance left the bases loaded in the fifth and then found some offense in the sixth with 2 outs. Anthony Silvera Jr. singled in Connor Gephart, who started the inning with a double, ahead of a Blue Devil error and two straight walks to bring DC within one run. However, Lawrence Tech got 2 runs back in the sixth before turning the Jackets away in the seventh with the tying run at the plate.
Game 2 - Defiance 17, Lawrence Tech 16
A wild, back-and-forth affair featured 2 big innings for the Yellow Jackets and ended with a walk-off victory to earn the split. Down 8-0 entering the bottom of the third, Defiance erupted for a 10-run inning to take the lead, which featured 4 RBIs by Bradyn Shaw. The Blue Devils got a run back the next inning before taking the lead with a 5-run sixth inning. After adding another to lead 15-10 in the eighth, DC posted another crooked number with 6 runs in the home half of the eighth. Despite the go-ahead, pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Jayden Stechschulte, Lawrence Tech evented the score in the top of the ninth on a 2-out, bases-loaded walk. The Purple and Gold had the last word without using an out in the ninth. Connor Gephart and James Mahon started the final frame with singles to set up Dominic Jarjis, who delivered the game-winning hit through the middle of the diamond.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Hayden Kanagy and Connor Gephart led the offense with 5 hits apiece with a double. Gephart had a 4-hit game during the high-scoring second contest.
- Anthony Silvera Jr. posted 4 RBIs with a 4-for-9 showing at the plate and scored a team-high 4 runs. He also extended his on-base streak to 15 games.
- Bradyn Shaw matched Silvera's team-best 4 RBIs for the day and reached base 6 total times (3-for-7, BB, 2 HBP)
- The walk-off knock by Dominic Jarjis was his second game-ending hit of the season (Feb. 14 vs. Grace)
- DC's win was its second in three games, each of which featured double-digit runs by both teams.
- The team's 18 hits in Game 2 are a single-game season high.
UP NEXT
DC travels to Siena Heights on Tuesday to play two against the Saints. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
-JACKETS-
