DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College bats continued to struggle on Thursday, failing to score and mustering only six hits in a 9-0 loss to Grace College at Craig A. Rutter Field. The shutout spoiled DC's 2011 home opener.

Neither side could dent the scoreboard through a brisk first four innings, before Grace (8-7) pushed two across in the fifth and added another in the sixth for the 3-0 lead. GC would then blow the game open with four in the seventh and two more in the eighth to extend the gap to 9-0.

The Jackets had plenty of chances to score, putting runners in scoring position in five of the nine innings. DC went 0-7 at the plate in those situations however, en route to leaving nine men on the base paths in the loss.

DC also continued to struggle late in games, as the Jackets entered play on Thursday having been outscored by a 43-10 margin from the fifth inning on and were edged by a 9-0 margin during that span on Thursday.

Defiance (1-7) will continue its scheduled six-game homestand on Saturday, when it welcomes Trine (1-6) for a twinbilling starting at noon.