The Berg Scores Quick, But Get Stung By Yellow Jackets

The Heidelberg College baseball team scored three runs in its first at bat, but gave up six unanswered runs to Defiance College in a 6-3 setback in the 2007 home opener at Peaceful Valley. The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for Heidelberg who sits at 12-4 overall, while the Yellow Jackets improve to 5-9 on the year.

Heidelberg has had a strong offensive presence over its last few contests,  recording double figure hits in eight of its last nine outings, but today’s contest saw the Berg put just five hits in the scorebook. Defiance finished with 12 hits on the game.          

The three quick scores by the Berg came on a Jack Bault (Randolph, Ohio / Waterloo) bases loaded walk that pushed Jeremy Wentworth (Johnstown, Ohio /St. Charles) across home plate. Wentworth reached base on a lead off walk. Matt Decker (Maumee, Ohio / Springfield) knocked in Tyler Tocco (Dublin, Ohio / Coffman) who reached on a single and Alex Rutter (Bowling Green, Ohio / Bowling Green) reached the base paths on a walk and eventually rounded the base paths and scored on a passed ball.

Defiance scored a run in the second and third innings to pull within one run. The Yellow Jackets eventual game-winning run came on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

Tocco, Rutter, Bault, Matt Hille (Fort Wayne, Ohio / Homestead) and L.B. Emrhein (Seven Hills, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) each finished with a hit for the Berg.

Freshman Andrew Hamman (Peru, Ind. / Peru) suffered the loss on the mound, pitching 3.0 innings in relief. Hamman gave up four hits, and two earned runs, while striking out two batters. Senior Dan Machovina (Elyria, Ohio / Midview) pitched the final two innings for the Berg and held the Yellow Jackets scoreless, while striking out three.

Heidelberg opens up action in the Ohio Athletic Conference at Mount Union Saturday, March 31. The league doubleheader is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.