BLUFFTON, Ohio – Darin Waterman laced a run-scoring single in the top of the ninth inning to give Defiance a 5-4 lead at Bluffton on Tuesday and the Jackets held on for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory on the diamond over the Beavers.
Waterman's RBI knock sealed a comeback victory for DC, after the Jackets overcame early deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 in a see-saw affair that featured three lead changes and a pair of ties.
The Jackets struck first, after Chris Donese singled to open the game and stole second base to move into scoring position. Bryn Lehman then bounced out to second base to advance Donese to third, before Waterman picked up his first RBI of the afternoon on a bounce out to second that plated Donese for the 1-0 advantage.
DC picked up an unearned run in the third to answer a two-run rally by BU in the second frame and then used a two-run, two-out single from Brad Kremer in the fifth inning to score Lehman and Waterman for the 4-3 lead.
It would not last long, as Bluffton countered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, and neither side dented the scoreboard again until the top of the ninth inning.
Levi Pauli opened the frame for the Purple and Gold with a pinch-hit single. A fielder's choice and a walk to Lehman set the stage for Waterman, who plated Donese with the game-winning single.
Alex Schomaeker worked a perfect bottom of the ninth to close out the Beavers and secure the 5-4 victory for Defiance. The performance was Schomaeker's third save of the season, tying the junior southpaw with Todd Odell (2010) for the fourth-highest, single-season total in DC history.
Schomaeker followed Brett Belew (2-0) out of the pen for Defiance, as Belew held BU (14-16, 7-8 HCAC) to one hit in 1.2 innings of work to record the win. The bullpen duo finished a gutsy effort from starter, Jake Taylor, who scattered 10 hits and did not allow a walk, while limiting a powerful Beaver lineup to four runs in 6.1 innings.
Waterman ended with two hits, two runs batted in and a run scored in the victory, while Chris Donese stole two bags and scored twice and Brad Kremer added a pair of RBI.
Defiance (9-18, 2-11 HCAC) will host the HCAC-leading Ravens of Anderson University (20-9, 12-2 HCAC) on April 20 and 21 at Craig A. Rutter Field. The teams will get things started with a single game on Friday, beginning at 4:00 pm.