Defiance, Oh. – The Transylvania baseball team got conference play under way with a doubleheader against the Defiance College Yellow Jackets in Ohio on Sunday. Due to weather related field conditions, the games were held at Defiance High School. The Pioneers were sunk by a late offensive explosion in game one, losing 12-5. They then bounced back to take game two with some fireworks at the plate and key bullpen efforts, winning 5-3.
In game one, Connor Arnold took the mound and cruised through the first three innings. Walter Munday scored on an error to break open the scoring in the top of the second. The Pios quickly added to it in the third, led by an RBI double from Trent Pahl and a single from TJ Keck that scored two more.
Going into the bottom of the fourth, Transylvania led 5-0 but the Yellow Jackets took off, scoring seven in the inning, and tacking on another in the fifth, to take an 8-5 lead. From there the Pioneers were able to put runners on base, but weren't able to get any home. Defiance scored four more late in the contest to take the game 12-5.
In game two, Transylvania was off and running from solo homers from Calvin Schubert and Brennan Perry, both marking their first career long balls. Robby Arnett got through four innings smoothly, as the Pioneers led 2-0. A sacrifice fly from Trent Pahl and a Bryce Dreher RBI single gave Transy a 4-run lead in the top of the fifth, but in the bottom of the inning the Yellow Jackets broke through with three runs, making things close at 4-3.
After tight back and forth innings of a one run game, Trent Youngblood blasted one to right field for the Pios' third solo homer of the game, making it 5-3. Matt Armstrong and Ty Conner both did their part out of the bullpen, with Conner pitching an inning with 2 strikeouts, and Armstrong going 2.0 in relief with 5 strikeouts in just the two frames. Kaden Hill came in to take the ninth, and closed things out to earn the save, as the Pioneers won 5-3.
Transylvania is right back at it on Tuesday, April 5, as they travel to Cincinnati for a weekday doubleheader against Mount St. Joseph with a 5 & 8 PM scheduled start.
For more information on Transylvania baseball, follow @TransyBaseball on Twitter
