Austin Hancock drove in six runs and Derek Turner threw four strong innings in his first varsity start to help Defiance beat Tinora 14-4 in a battle of the six-county area's most successful baseball programs this decade.
After leaving four runners stranded through two innings of play, the Bulldogs, the top-ranked team in Ohio in Division II by Prep Baseball Report, took control with a six-run third inning. An RBI single by Adam Schafer drove in Turner with the first run of the frame giving DHS a 2-0 lead. A bases loaded walk to Drake Jimenez made it 3-0, bringing Hancock to the plate.
The junior shortstop then ripped a shot to the fence in right-center field to score Jacob Green, Joe Keween and Jimenez. When the cutoff throw was off the mark, Hancock raced home with the sixth run of the inning.
"That was the big hit of the game," DHS coach Tom Held said. "They got out of tough jams early but that hit opened the game out. What was so big about his hit was we were in the same situation two times before that.”
Hancock, who walked with the bases full and two outs in the second for the first Defiance run, added a run-scoring ground out in the fifth and another bases-loaded free pass in the seventh. But it was his triple in the third that keyed Defiance's 10th straight win to open the season.
“It was right down the middle,” Hancock said of the pitch he hit to clear the bases. “I didn't feel it off the bat. We went from 1-0 to 7-0 just like that. One hit can change it.”
Like Defiance, the Rams threatened early on but failed to come up with the clutch hit. Two walks and a hit batter filled the bases with one out in the bottom of the first but Turner got out of the jam with two strikeouts. An A.J. Fairchild double and a Casey Hilton bloop single put runners on second and third with no outs in the Tinora second, but Turner fanned three straight, the last two on called strikes.
“I was a little nervous at first,” explained Turner, a junior right-hander making just his second appearance of the season on the mound. “Coach said just said relax and throw strikes and that helped.
“My curve was working early in the game and my change-up the last few innings. You just have to trust yourself, relax and count on your defense, like Drake's great play.”
Jimenez dove to his left to rob Derek Drewes of a hit to right in the third inning, preventing the Rams from a first-and-third no-out situation.
Tinora, ranked seventh in the state in Division IV by PBR, managed to push across one unearned run in the fourth on a Fairchild double, a wild pitch and an error on a pick-off play. But Turner struck out three straight to close out his time on the mound in his first start.
“He had good stuff and I like how he competed, especially in the first couple innings when they easily could have had three or four runs on the board. I was very impressed with that,” Held said of Turner, who gave up three hits, two walks and hit a pair while fanning 10 in four innings on the hill. “He has good stuff and a good breaking ball. He was able to get out there and throw strikes. He was what I call effectively wild.”
Tinora coach Brent Renollet was impressed from the other dugout as well.
“We haven't seen 87-88 all year,” Renollet said. “We haven't seen 80. It was a good learning experience for us. Now the meaningful games start tomorrow.”
The Rams, riding a 31-game Green Meadows Conference winning streak, open league play Tuesday with Antwerp and Renollet hopes playing a team like Defiance pays dividends.
“They're not No. 1 in Division II for no reason,” Renollet said of the Bulldogs. “They're good. All their pitchers throw in the 80s. You've got to play really well to beat them.
“To be honest I'm happy with our team. I don't like to lose, but we competed at the end. That's what we're striving for.”
Clay Pittman reached base on all four at-bats for the Rams, hittinga two-run home run in the seventh f to go along with a double and two hit-by-pitches.
“I thought we hit the ball pretty well after the initial shock of 87-88,” Renollet said. “We struck out a lot early, but we put it in play in the later innings. After the first time through (the lineup) I thought we got better.”
Renollet also had praise for his own pitcher, Dylan Rumbaugh, who worked into the seventh inning.
“We threw six (pitchers) on Saturday,” explained Renollet, whose team has two GMC games in the next three days. “Dylan gave us an unbelievable effort. He competed and ate up innings for us. I'm proud of him.”
Keween aided Hancock in the 13-hit DHS attack with a double, single and walk in three trips to the plate
“Joe has been struggling,” Held noted. “It's good to have him have a good day at the plate. That should be a good confidence builder.”
Like Tinora, the Bulldogs have a big week ahead with a home WBL game on Tuesday with O-G before road contests at Sylvania Southview on Thursday and at Wapakoneta on Friday.
Linescore
Defiance 016 020 5 - 14 13 2
Tinora 000 100 3 - 4 9 5
Records: Defiance 10-0, Tinora 4-5.
Winning pitcher: Derek Turner (4 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts, 2 walks, 2 HBP). Other: Ethan Willitzer.
Losing pitcher: Dylan Rumbaugh (6 innings, 13 runs, 12 hits, 3 strikeouts, 9 walks). Other: Logan Dickerson.
Leading hitters: (Defiance, 13 hits) – Austin Hancock triple, 6 RBI; Derek Turner double; Adam Schafer 2 singles; Joe Keween single, double; Drake Jimenez double. (Tinora, 9 hits) – Clay Pittman double, home run; Brevin Renollet 2 singles; A.J. Fairchild 2 doubles.