May 14 -- Grizzlies end Jackets' '04 season

--North Manchester, Ind. -- Defiance College's baseball season came to an end this morning with a 2-6 loss to Franklin College in the HCAC Championship Tournament.

Despite out-hitting the Grizzlies 7-6, the Jackets dropped the game due to a pair of two-run homers by FC's Cody Kirkman in the sixth and seventh inning. The Jackets, however, did not go quietly. Lenny Koesters launched a solo shot in the ninth and ended the game with a 2-for-5 performance. Tyler Stork went 6.2 innings on the mound, giving up five earned runs on six hits, striking out three.

Chris Newcomb, Tony Ebersole and Richard Trick each went 1-for-3, while Jeremy Hawkins and Ryan Leininger went 1-for-2 and 1-for-4 respectively.

Stork ends the season with a 4-5 mark on the mound, while the Jackets finish the '04 campaign 14-25, after starting 1-9, and made their first ever appearance in the HCAC Championship Tournament.

Leininger edged out Trick for the season batting title with a .367 (47/128) average compared to Trick's .354 (46/130).

Eric Sprague led all Jacket pitchers (with more than three appearances) with a 4.66 ERA and 52 strike outs.

Newcomb led the Jackets in the field with a perfect fielding percentage while playing left and center field. Eric Tipton led DC with 54 put outs while playing second base.