FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Yellow Jacket baseball squad got its annual Florida spring break slate of games underway on Monday, as Defiance took on the Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran College for a doubleheader. The Jackets shutout the Warriors in game one, winning by a final of 5-0, before dropping the second game 4-2.
In game one, junior standout Darin Waterman dominated the game on the mound and at the plate, as the Wisconsin Lutheran hitters had no answer for the Celina, Ohio native's stuff. Waterman tossed a complete game shutout for the first time in his career and recorded a career-best 14 strikeouts, besting his previous high of 10 in a game. The junior relinquished just three hits and a walk to top off his masterful performance.
The Yellow Jackets' bats were held in check through the first four innings, as Defiance managed just two hits in that timeframe.
However, in the fifth the Purple and Gold offense came to life. Freshman Gary Levengood led off the frame with a single to left, followed by a groundout from freshman Ben Weber that moved Levengood into scoring position at second base. After Jonathan Murphy was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, Aaron Helland loaded the bases with an infield single with one out in the top of the fifth. Junior Brad Kremer plated the game's first run and gave DC a 1-0 lead in unconventional fashion, as Kremer was hit by a pitch with two outs.
With the bases loaded and two outs, up stepped Waterman trying to help his own cause. The junior broke the game wide open when the Jacket pitcher and cleanup man uncorked a grand slam over the left field fence to give Defiance a 5-0 lead. The grand slam was the first of his career and the first home run of the season for the Jackets.
After Waterman did his damage at the plate, he shut the door on the Warriors in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, as Wisconsin Lutheran only managed one baserunner in the final three innings and struck out in five of the team's last six at bats.
Game two of the doubleheader started out well for the Purple and Gold, as Defiance looked to sweep the Warriors. After a scoreless top of the first from Wisconsin Lutheran, Helland led off the bottom half of the frame with a leadoff single and then stole second base. Chris Donese followed with a double to right center that scored Helland to give DC an early 1-0 lead.
The Jackets tacked on another run in the third off an RBI single from Waterman to up the Defiance lead to 2-0.
DC's starting pitcher in game two, Jake Taylor, began the game with four innings of no-hit baseball before the Warrior hitters touched up the senior for four runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead.
The Yellow Jacket bats went quiet in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings and tried to rally the Purple and Gold in the seventh and final inning. DC managed to get runners on first and second with one out with the go-ahead run coming to the dish, but the Jackets were unable to produce, as a double play ended the threat and the game.
With the 1-1 split, Defiance has a record of 3-1 on the young season. The Yellow Jackets return to the field on Tuesday, March 12, as the team faces Mitchell College in a doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.