Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania softball team christened their 2016 home opener at Hall Field with an afternoon to remember, sweeping the first-place Franklin Grizzlies, 1-0 and 8-2 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

The Pioneers usurped Franklin's early-season first place hold on the top of the HCAC totem pole by taking the twin bill from the Grizzlies in two very different fashions.

The Pioneers battled the Grizzlies to a standstill in Game One for 5 ½ innings before Shelby Bailey came through with the lone RBI of the game, a home run shot to deep left field that handed Transylvania the opening game win. The Pioneers soon followed up the one-run victory with an offensive factory in Game Two as just about every crimson batter got in on the action.

Jenna Stiles was a key figure in Game One as she took the mound and went the distance, allowing just four hits, no earned runs, and two strikeouts in an efficient 1 hour, 15 minute performance versus the Grizzlies. While the Pios bats took time to get going, Stiles made sure that Franklin would see little success on the opposite end.

Stiles retired the Franklin side in the second, fourth, sixth, and seventh innings as the Pioneers were savvy in disrupting any sort of Grizzlies consistency. The Grizzlies were able to advance runners in the first and third innings, but each time the Pioneers came through with timely defensive plays to strand Franklin runners and forge on efficiently.

While the defense remained stout, the Pioneers awaited their key offensive moment. It arrived in the sixth inning when with two outs, Shelby Bailey saw her pitch and delivered a towering shot to left center field and over the wall for the lone run of the game. A one-run lead was all the Pioneers needed as they zoomed into the seventh and promptly shut down all three hitters that Stiles saw.

Eager to get back into action, the Pioneers commenced Game Two with powerful punches in innings three, four, and six, when Transylvania tallied all of their eight runs.

A series of errors in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed baserunner Meg Liter to score for a comfortable 3-0 Pioneers lead. Madison Dorsey continued the onslaught in the fourth inning with a clutch single to center field that scored Katie Hulsman and Shelbi Poehlein that sent the Pioneers into the fifth inning ahead of the Grizzlies, 5-0.

Starting Pitcher Jamie Lutes matched the Game One starter Stiles by also pitching all seven innings, allowing six hits and one earned run, while notching five strikeouts in the win.

Franklin briefly rose in the sixth, before the Pioneers shut down any impending threat with three more runs in the bottom frame. Hits from Brittany Mumford and Shelby Gambrell plated Dorsey, Hulsman, and Mumford for the 8-2 final.

Gambrell, Dorsey, and Mumford all enjoyed multi-hit games in Game Two, with the lead-off hitter Mumford going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. The trio also combined for six RBIs in the game.

The first home games of the season for the Pioneers after an arduous 15-game road venture to begin the year were a welcome change for Transylvania, who pieced together arguably their finest softball of the season Wednesday.

The losses dropped Franklin from first place in the HCAC to 3-3 and 14-8 overall. The Pioneers, meanwhile moved to over .500 overall at 9-8 and 3-1 in the HCAC standings, good for first place in the HCAC.

The Pioneers next take the field on Saturday when they host the Bluffton Beavers for a two-game set. First pitch for Game One of that doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.