April 27 -- Jackets fall in last inning

By: Jake Linder, Assistant SID

--Bowling Green, Ohio -- Despite a large crowd support on a cold afternoon, the Defiance College baseball team fell in the last inning to Bowling Green State University, 8-7.

Defiance lit up the scoreboard first as Ryan Leininger scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fourth inning to give the Jackets the early 1-0 lead. However, the Falcons answered back in the bottom half of the inning and knotted the score at 1-1 going into the fifth.

After the Jackets were held scoreless in the top half of the fifth, BGSU plated two in the bottom of the fifth to give them the 3-1 advantage. Defiance would answer back big in the top of the sixth as they plated three runs off of some wild Falcon pitching and timely Jacket hitting. Leininger scored on a bases loaded walk to Jake Linder, Richard Trick trotted home after a wild pitch, and Eric Schwab had a sacrifice fly to plate Jason Smolenski to account for Defiance's three runs. BGSU did not go away however as they scored three more runs in the bottom half of the seventh.

Sophomore Eric Schwab countered for the Jackets again in the top of the eighth as he belted a double to right center scoring Linder and Jeremy Hawkins. Schwab would later score in the inning off of a James Yenser single. BGSU was held scoreless in the bottom half of the inning giving the Jackets a one run advantage going into the last inning.

DC could not find any offense in the top half of the ninth and took a 7-6 lead into the bottom half. After a lead-off double by Andy Hudak, BGSU used a sacrifice bunt and later a wild pitch for Hudak to score making it 7-7. The Falcons did not stop there as the next batter singled, a fielding error allowed another runner on base, and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. A single by Eric Lawson gave the Falcons the win, 8-7.

The Jackets were led at the plate by Schwab, who was 1-3 on the day with three runs batted in. Leininger and Hawkins also helped the DC cause as they both went 2-3 on the day.

With the loss, Defiance drops to 11-19 on the year while Bowling Green improves to 22-11. The Jackets' next contest is Friday afternoon as they resume HCAC action against the visiting Pioneers of Transylvania. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

e-mail Head Coach Chad Donsbach: cdonsbach@defiance.edu