Defiance, Ohio – Clutch relief pitching and a four-hit day from TJ Keck charged the Transylvania baseball team to a Sunday sweep of the Defiance College Yellow Jackets, 8-4 in the first leg and 9-4 in the second leg of a conference doubleheader at Craig A. Rutter Field.
The Pioneers moved to 5-2 on the season while Defiance dropped to 2-6 after Sunday's proceedings.
In game one, Transylvania jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second inning. The Pioneers loaded the bases on a fielding error and a pair of singles by Michael Blair and Trent Youngblood.
Errors continued to haunt the Yellow Jackets as Blair crossed home after a dropped third strike got away from the Defiance catcher, and Youngblood and Wade Lopiccolo scored on an ensuing fielding error by the third basemen. Devyn Wilson-Cowan wrapped up the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single to left centerfield, making the score 4-0 in favor of the Pioneers.
The Pioneers continued mounting the pressure in the third as Hudson Chastain led off with a single through the left side. After advancing to third following two at-bats, Chastain scored on another wild pitch by the Yellow Jackets for a 5-0 Pioneer lead.
Defiance fought back in the fourth inning by taking advantage of an error by the Pioneers and scoring off a double to right field. The momentum continued to shift as a two-run single by the Yellow Jackets in the fifth inning saw the Transylvania lead cut to 5-3.
Looking to add some insurance runs, Blair and Youngblood led off the sixth inning with singles to centerfield to put the Pioneers within striking distance. Lopiccolo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners over, but the attempted throw to first to retire Lopiccolo sailed wide of the first baseman, allowing both runners to trot home. Parker Tuszynski capitalized once more by lining a single to right field, pushing the Pioneers out in front, 8-3.
The Yellow Jackets made a last-ditch effort to regain the lead by plating one run in the seventh inning, but the Pioneer defense held strong for the remaining frames.
Trent Youngblood went 2 for 4 with two singles and two runs scored. Michael Blair went 2 for 5 with two singles and scoring two runs while Chastain and Trent Pahl each had multi-hit performances in Sunday's opener.
Max Medley offered an excellent relief appearance going the final five innings for the win, collecting a career-high seven strikeouts, and only yielding one unearned run on two hits.
The second leg of the doubleheader witnessed a slow emergence of scoring as both sides struggled to open an advantage through the first two innings.
A Trent Pahl triple to right center field broke the ice and eventually set up Wilson-Cowan for a sacrifice fly RBI to left field, providing the opening run in the third inning. The Yellow Jackets instantly replied in the bottom of the frame with an infield single that tied the game at 1-1.
Transylvania went ahead again with a three-run fourth inning for a 4-1 lead. Youngblood scored Chastain on an RBI single, and Keck crossed the plate on a passed ball. Lopiccolo drove in Youngblood with an RBI single to center to complete a healthy inning. Defiance immediately forged a tie in the bottom half of the inning, pushing across three runs of their own for a 4-4 deadlock.
The Pioneers separated themselves in the seventh inning, scoring five unanswered runs the rest of the way. Wilson-Cowan hustled home on an RBI groundout by Chastain for a 5-4 Transy lead. Keck drove a single through the left side to score an additional run while Lopiccolo provided a sacrificed fly to complete the trio of runs scored in the seventh.
Riley Willbur and Keck provided additional cushioning to the Pioneer advantage by driving an RBI single and double respectively in the eighth inning to swell the lead to 9-4.
TJ Keck went 4 for 5 at the plate with two doubles, two singles, two RBI, and two runs scored to continue his streak of at least one extra-base hit in each of the last four games.
Carter Atkinson earned the win in relief by throwing 2.1 innings, collecting one strikeout, and surrendering zero runs on zero hits.
The Pioneers are slated for a doubleheader against the Hanover College Panthers on Saturday, March 20 at Legends Ballpark. First pitch for the opening game of the doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m.
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