Lexington, Ky. – In a key matchup of the top two teams from last year's conference regular season, the Transylvania softball team and the Anderson University Ravens split a pair of games Sunday afternoon at Hall Field.

In game one, the Pioneers emerged victorious with a 2-0 win against the Ravens. During intermission, the Pioneers paused to celebrate their two seniors, infielders Shelby Bailey and Lauren Willett in a class of 2017 softball ceremony. The Ravens put a damper on the final hour of the Pioneers' Sunday as they mustered a 6-4 comeback win in eight innings to leave Lexington with a split.

The doubleheader left the Pioneers 7-3 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play, still one game ahead of the Ravens, who completed Sunday with a 6-4 record in conference competition. Transylvania currently sits one game back of league-leading Mount St. Joseph in the HCAC standings. Each team has three conference series remaining as the conference tournament picture continues to take shape through the next nine days.

Game One

The first game of the afternoon between Anderson and Transylvania resulted in another pitching gem for junior pitcher Renae Morton, who registered a complete-game shutout on a day when the Pioneers required her lockdown pitching.

Morton registered two strikeouts on the afternoon, but issued just one walk and two hits in seven full innings of work. The junior won the duel against Anderson's Rachel Fiscus, who went a full six innings for the Ravens and allowed two runs on the day, both of which came in the bottom of the first inning.

The Pioneers got on the board early and held onto their lead in an efficient afternoon in which their defense was on full display.

Sophomore outfielder Shelby Gambrell lifted a lead-off base hit in the bottom of the first inning, and sophomore designated player Jessica Powell followed with a walk. A bunt from sophomore infielder Brittany Mumford moved both runners forward to set up the pivotal offensive moment of the game.

With one out, sophomore outfielder Shelbi Poehlein shot a single into center field and Powell and Gambrell made their way home for a 2-0 Pioneers lead. While the Pioneers eventually stranded three runners in the inning, the two runs turned out to be all they would need with their defense in high gear.

Morton and the Pioneers retired the side in five of the final six innings to close down an efficient game. Poehlein and freshman catcher Janelle Hynes each went 2-for-3 in the first game as part of Transylvania's seven total hits.

Game Two

The second game of the day featured a thrilling back-and-forth tug between the Pioneers and Ravens. After the Ravens took a 2-0 lead in the second inning against Transylvania, the Pioneers spent the rest of the afternoon trying to whittle away at Anderson's cushion.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pioneers began to cultivate momentum. Bailey, one of two seniors honored during the game, had her in-game shining moment with a lead-off walk. Poehlein had a groundout to move Bailey to second. With Bailey in scoring position, sophomore pitcher Meg Liter cued up an RBI double to cut Anderson's advantage to 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the tide turned toward Transy's direction. Bailey drew a one-out walk, and Mumford was intentionally walked to put two runners aboard. Poehlein smacked a hard shot that was mishandled by Anderson's infield to load the bases.

Freshman Sydney Motell stepped up to bat, and saw a wild pitch fly by that allowed Bailey to score to tie the game at 2-2. With newfound momentum, Motell cracked a hit to right field that scored Mumford. While the Pioneers scored no further, they carried a 3-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning.

But Anderson had one more trick up their sleeve, placing two runners aboard with a walk and a run. With one out, the Ravens' Shelby Calvert hit a grounder that scored a runner and tied the game at 3-3.

Transylvania got out of the inning, but could not score in the bottom of the seventh inning, and the game headed to extra innings.

The Ravens found their groove immediately in the top of the eighth, collecting a one-out RBI single for a 4-3 lead. The Ravens followed with another single and double to plate two more runners for a comfortable 6-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the eighth, Motell drove in Mumford on a hit into the outfield, and eventually put two more runners aboard. But the Ravens came through with a game-ending strikeout to secure the 6-4 victory.

Morton took the game two loss in a relief role, allowing three earned runs over three innings while gathering four strikeouts. Motell's two hits were part of five team hits in game two.

The Pioneers face a quick turnaround as they host HCAC rival Hanover College on Monday at Hall Field in the final home doubleheader of the regular season. The Pioneers and Panthers square off in Lexington at 3:30 p.m.

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