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Box Score 2 Lexington, Ky. – Inching closer to the end of its regular season, the Transylvania softball team earned a split against the Hanover College Panthers in a Monday afternoon doubleheader at Hall Field.
In the regular season-ending home series for the Pioneers at the renovated Hall Field, the hosts grabbed a 1-0 victory against the Panthers behind another dominant complete-game shutout from junior pitcher Renae Morton. Hanover returned the favor in the nightcap, erasing a 4-3 deficit to claim a 5-4 victory to leave Lexington with a split.
The Pioneers moved to 24-11 overall, and 8-4 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play, good for third place currently in a crowded tournament picture. The Pioneers sit a half game back of Defiance and one game behind league-leading Mount St. Joseph, whom the Pioneers will face on Wednesday in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Hanover moved to 7-5 in conference play, slotting the Panthers in fifth place and one game back of the Pioneers.
Two doubleheader series remain in the regular season for Transylvania. After facing Mount St. Joseph on Wednesday, the Pioneers will wrap up conference play at Manchester on Saturday. Winning all four games would guarantee them no worse than a second-place finish in the conference standings.
Game One
In an offensively limited game that saw excellence from both sides' pitchers, the Pioneers did just enough to get the upper hand on Hanover, and let Morton do the rest as the junior claimed her 12th win of the season.
After a scoreless first inning, sophomore infielder Meg Liter led off the bottom of the second inning with a double into the outfield. Sophomore outfielder Shelbi Poehlein hit a grounder that moved Liter over to third.
During the next at-bat for senior infielder Shelby Bailey, a wild pitch got away from the Hanover catcher and Liter glided home in for a 1-0 Transylvania lead. It was all the Pioneers would plate offensively in game one, but it was all they needed as Morton allowed just two baserunners the rest of the game.
Morton collected six strikeouts against one walk, and allowed three hits in the win. The Pioneers were outhit by Hanover 3 to 2, but Liter's double proved to be enough in generating a victory.
Game Two
The second game of the day featured its fair share of twists and turns. The Pioneers came alive immediately on offense in game two, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as sophomore outfielder Shelby Gambrell scored on a Bailey single into center field, and Liter scored later on as part of a double steal.
Things got loose for the Pioneers in the top of the third inning as the Panthers erupted for three runs, their first three runs of the day and an ensuing 3-2 advantage. Aggressive baserunning and ill-timed wild pitches by the Pioneers were key in Hanover's run.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Transylvania answered back with two more runs to retake the lead at 4-3. Gambrell and Liter led off with back-to-back singles and a one-out RBI from Poehlein scored Gambrell for the tying run. Freshman pinch hitter Sydney Motell followed with a clutch shot to centerfield to drive in Liter for the go-ahead score.
But the pendulum swung back Hanover's direction in the top of the sixth inning as the Pioneers endured a perplexing string of four errors in the inning. The Pioneer miscues saw Hanover go back on top at 5-4.
There would be no second Pioneer comeback as Hanover reliever Sydney Griffin struck out six of the final seven batters she faced to close down the win for the Panthers and secure a split.
Gambrell led the Pioneers in game two with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
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