Hanover, Ind. - On Sunday afternoon, the Transylvania softball team took on the Hanover College Panthers for an inner-conference doubleheader. The Pioneers came into the day with a record of 21-9 overall, and 9-1 in the conference, looking to stay hot. With 10-4 and 4-3 wins, they did just that.
Game 1- The Pioneers set the tone for the doubleheader as they got on the board early. Stella Wulker doubled to get on base and was brought home by Alyssa Nunn. Two innings later, the hard hitting Bats put up four more runs, starting with an RBI single by Nunn to bring home Abby Frazier. Two batters later, Annie Schuck came through with a massive three run homer, putting the Pioneers ahead 5-0.
Hanover broke through with three runs in the same amount of innings. However, still up 5-3, Transylvania had a huge sixth inning in which they doubled their own score. They earned the five runs by an RBI single from Emilie Teall that scored Ry'Ann Tharp, and Frazier touched them all with a grand slam, giving the Pios a comfortable lead once again, 10-3. For the rest of the game, only one run was allowed, as Transylvania went on to capture the first win of the doubleheader by a final score of 10-4.
Carlee Jeter took the win and moved to 14-6, once again leading the way with effective pitching.
Game 2- The second game of the doubleheader was a much closer affair, as both teams were matching runs and making crucial hits when needed. The first run was scored by the Pioneers, as Senter hit a sacrifice fly to bring Wulker home. Hanover answered back in the bottom half of the first to tie the score at 1-1, but Transylvania executed another sacrifice fly, this time from Messing, to score Tharp. In the bottom of the second Hanover scored twice to take the lead at 3-2, and the score stayed that way until the fifth.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Wulker continued to do damage, this time with a crucial solo home run to knot the score. The rest of the way the pitching was stellar from Woodward, as she knocked down batter after batter, only allowing one baserunner for the final three innings. Transylvania broke the deadlock in the top of the sixth, as Kinsey Smith flied out to center field and allowed Senter to come home.
The rest of the game went scoreless and the Pioneers held their 4-3 lead, taking the sweep in the Sunday doubleheader. Marlee Woodward captured the win for the red hot Pios' as she pitched a nearly flawless five innings, allowing just one hit.
The Pioneers are back for another doubleheader on Tuesday, April 26th where they will be matched up against Mount St. Joseph. The games will take place at John & Donna Hall field on the campus of Transylvania, scheduled for a 5:00 PM start.
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