Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Senior Nick Constantino went a combined 2-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs as the Swarthmore College baseball team split a doubleheader with Defiance on Monday, March 10 at PDC Field. The Garnet won the first game by a 6-4 score before the Yellow Jackets took the nightcap by a 5-2 decision to salvage the split.

In the opener, Swarthmore stormed out to a 6-0 lead by scoring three times in consecutive frames and never looked back. Freshman Ryan Burnett, who stole two bases in the game, hit a two-run single to put the Garnet on the board in the third and scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to right by sophomore John Lim. One inning later, Constantino recorded a hit that scored two and Lim singled in another run to double the Swarthmore lead.

Defiance attempted to rally by scoring once in the bottom of the fifth and three times in the sixth, but they would come no closer than two runs. Sophomore Oscar Leong retired all four batters he faced to clinch the victory for the Garnet.

Sophomore Nathan Booth earned the victory on the mound for Swarthmore to begin the season with a 1-0 record. He yielded only one run, which was unearned, and allowed just four hits. Leong picked up the save by pitching 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out one and did not issue a walk. Defiance's Darin Waterman, who also went 1-for-3 at the plate, suffered the loss and dropped to 1-1 after surrendering five hits and six runs, including two earned, over 3.2 frames.

After recording their second straight victory, Swarthmore pushed the first two runs across in the nightcap to remain in control. After Ryan Burnett drew a one-out walk and senior Cody Ruben singled, Scoop Ruxin doubled the pair home to make it 2-0 in the bottom of the third.

Defiance (3-2), however, came back to score twice in the fourth and three times in the seventh to rally for the win. Junior Matt Staels singled in senior Brandon Riley to tie the score at 2-all before and a two-run double by senior Patrick Masopust in the final inning would eventually seal the outcome.

Freshman Dave Blanch triumphed on the hill to improve his ledger to 2-1 this season for Defiance. He gave up five hits and two runs, which were both earned, over six innings while striking out one and issuing six free passes to first. Classmate Matt Clark was credited with a save by hurling a scoreless seventh. The Garnet's Matt Bertuch was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs in the last inning.

Swarthmore (2-2) continues play tomorrow morning when it battles Eastern Nazarene in a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m.