DC splits Sunday DH at Lourdes with an extra-inning slug fest

TOLEDO, Ohio – Following a disappointing 25-9 loss in the opening contest, the Defiance Yellow Jackets overcame an 11-run deficit and outlasted the Lourdes Gray in extra innings on Sunday, 27-23, at Mercy Field.

The Yellow Jackets (14-25, 7-11 WHAC) completed their fifth consecutive doubleheader split while moving into 8th place in the WHAC standings just ahead of the season's home stretch. Sunday's second game saw multiple single-game offensive records tied or broken. The team's 27 runs matched the program record for runs scored and set a new mark for the highest scoring game in program history, beating the previous mark of 47 combined runs that occurred twice. Hayden Kanagy set a new program record with 8 total at-bats in the game.

Game 1 - Lourdes 25, Defiance 9
The Gray Wolves scored 15 runs across the third and fourth innings to roll to victory in the first game. Three RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly had Lourdes ahead 6-2 to chase DC starter Bradyn Shaw in the second inning. After Defiance got 2 runs back in the top of the third on a 2-out, 2-run single by Elisa Marquez, the Gray Wolves pounced for 7 in the third with 5 hits. Defiance's offense kept churning out runs with 3 in the fourth, but Lourdes had another big inning in their half of the inning by scoring 8 times on 7 hits and 4 walks. For the ballgame, Defiance pitching was plagued by 10 walks and 4 hit batters while Lourdes landed 22 base hits, 10 of which were for extra bases.

Game 2 - Defiance 27, Lourdes 23 (10 innings)
The Yellow Jackets trailed 11-0 through 2 innings of the second game, which included 2 of the game's 6 total home runs by Lourdes. After the Yellow Jackets got on the board in the third with 4 runs, Lourdes pushed 3 more across in their half of the inning to lead 14-4. DC's comeback started in the fifth frame with a bases-loaded walk by Jake Veverka and led to a 3-run homer by Anthony Silvera Jr. to bring Defiance within 4 runs at 14-10. Lourdes again responded with 2 runs but Kolbe VanderLeest started another surge with a solo homer to lead off the sixth. With 2 outs in the inning, Rigley Hickman belted a game-tying grand slam. Defiance captured the lead in the seventh when Kanagy doubled home the go-ahead run to start a 3-run frame.

The contest continued to yo-yo back and forth in the eighth when DC pushed the lead to 6 runs, 23-17, before the Gray Wolves stormed back to tie the game with a 6-run bottom of the eighth. While the entire day was unfriendly to both teams' pitching staffs, Defiance turned to Andy Yoder (Win, 2-2) in that eighth frame and delivered some of the day's gutsiest innings. Despite being charged with 2 runs to finish the eighth, Yoder retired the Gray Wolves in order in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings and rebounded from a leadoff walk in the 10th to close out the win. DC's offense rewarded him with the winning decision by posting a crooked number to start the extra frame. Kanagy broke the tie with a single before Devon Crouch and Jack Brubaker-Flood delivered RBI hits to extend the cushion to 4 runs.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Defiance's extra-inning win was the team's second extra-inning game of the year, moving to 1-1 in those games.
• The Yellow Jackets' record-tying 27 runs were their first 20-run output since setting the record on April 8, 2017 at Franklin.
• The 27-23 final is the highest-scoring game in program history and the fourth game this season in which both teams scored 10 runs or more.
• Anthony Silvera Jr. extended his season-long hitting streak to 10 games and went a combined 3-for-9 with 4 RBIs, including his first homer of the season.
• Hayden Kanagy pounded out 6 hits on the day to boost his batting average to .439. He went a combined 6-for-12 with 4 RBIs and a pair of doubles in the second game. He has 7 multi-hit games in the last 8 contests.
• Rigley Hickman's grand slam was his first college home run.
• Dylan Barger enjoyed a career day in the second game by going 4-for-7 with 4 runs and an RBI.
• Devon Crouch had a 3-hit, 3-RBI second game with a pair of walks and runs scored.
• Jack Brubaker-Flood also had a career day going 3-for-6 with a double and 4 RBIs.
• Kolbe VanderLeest reached base in all 5 plate appearances with his third homer of the year, a 2-run single, 2 walks and was also hit by a pitch.

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets are back home on Tuesday with Siena Heights coming to DC. First pitch of the doubleheader at Rutter Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

-JACKETS-