Anderson Tops Defiance in Extra Innings with Late Rebuttal

The Anderson University baseball team topped Defiance College 13-12 in 10 innings during Wednesday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in Defiance, Ohio.

Anderson (10-6, 10-6) kept Defiance (4-11, 4-11) off the board for the first six innings, pulling ahead to a 7-0 lead after six innings. The Yellow Jackets put together an 11-run surge during the next two innings to take an 11-7 lead entering the top of the ninth inning.

In the top of the ninth, Anderson posted a four-run rebuttal to even the score at 11-all. Jonathan Willoughby (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) drew a bases-loaded walk. Jason Hall-Manley (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) cut the deficit to one after belting a two-run double. M.J. Furnish (Fishers, Ind./Heritage Christian) drove in Willoughby for the tying run on a sacrifice fly.

In the top of the 10th, Tyler Smitherman (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) scored as a result of an error. Justin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) then doubled in a run to put the Ravens ahead by two. In the bottom half of the inning, Lucas Thomeier drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs, cutting the lead to one. Josh Vischer came to the plate down by one with the bases loaded, but Evan Doan (Frankton, Ind./Frankton) (1-0) struck out Vischer for the win.

"I commend us for not giving up, but we have a long way to go to get to where we want to be," Coach Mathew Bair said.

Burton went 4-for-4 with three RBIs two doubles and three stolen bases. Reed finished 4-for-7 with a pair of RBI doubles and two stolen bases. Grahm Reedy (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a stolen base. Hall-Manley connected on a two-run double, swiped three bases and drew four walks. Furnish, Rene Casas Jr. (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Height), Smitherman and T.J. Price (Anderson, Ind./Daleville) rounded out Anderson's 16 hits with singles. Reedy, Willoughby, Furnish, Casas Jr. and Price each provided RBIs. Casas Jr. also stole a base as Anderson finished with nine total stolen bases.

Doan struck out five batters, issued three walks and allowed one run on three hits in two innings. Jose Olivo (Knightstown, Ind./Knightstown) fanned five batters, yielded four walks and gave up one hit in six scoreless innings.

Anderson challenges Transylvania University (8-3, 8-3) in an HCAC doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Lexington, Ky.