The Transylvania University Softball team celebrated senior day for six Pioneers on Saturday at John and Donna Hall Field taking on the Fighting Engineers from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in the finale of the regular season in conference play. With the regular season title on the line, the Transylvania Pioneers took the double-header sweep of the Engineers, 5-2 and 6-0 to move to 30-9 on the season and 17-1 in conference play.
In game one of the day, the Pios got the scoring started in the bottom of the first courtesy of a lead off double to left by senior third baseman Abby Frazier. Freshman right-fielder Katie Mewes worked an impressive multi-pitch at bat to put a ball into the gap in right center for an RBI triple, plating Frazier. Mewes came in to score on a wild pitch two batters later to end the scoring in the frame to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
Picking up right off where they left off in the first, the Pioneers plated three more runs in the second. Junior second baseman Hadlee Carter singled to shallow left center and promptly stole second and took advantage of an errant throw to advance to third. Sophomore shortstop Ry'Ann Tharp walked and stole second to put runners at second and third for Frazier. Frazier tripled to center field, scoring both Carter and Tharp. Mewes laid down a bunt to the right side and another wild throw allowed not only Frazier to score, but Mewes to move up to second to end the scoring in the inning.
The third inning saw the Engineers string back-to-back-to-back hits together with one out against junior right-hander Carlee Jeter. Jeter worked hard to only give up a sacrifice fly and a ground out to stop the scoring at one. She would go one more scoreless inning for the Pioneers to go four complete innings, giving up only one run in the game.
Jeter turned the ball over to Freshman left-hander Sophie Moshos with a 5-1 lead heading into the fifth inning. Moshos got all three outs in the inning by way of the strikeout. However, sandwiched between those strikeouts was a double to right center and another single to center, scoring a run for the Engineers amongst the strikeouts.
In the sixth, the Pioneers kept the Engineers scoreless, with a stellar play in the field by senior first baseman Annie Schuck on an over the shoulder catch in foul territory. In the bottom of the inning the senior designated-player Carson Murray singled through the left side of the infield and was able to move up to second on a wild pitch during the proceeding at bat. Walks to pinch hitter senior Emily Hestand and Frazier brought up Mewes with bases loaded and two outs. Mewes flew out to left to end the threat for the Pioneers in the inning.
Moshos completed the game in the seventh with another three strikeouts to end the game and adding to her conference leading total to 121. The win clinches the regular season Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title for the Pioneers, the third regular season title in a row for Coach Hendrickson and his team.
For game two, Moshos began the game in the circle for the Pioneers. After a very efficient three up and three down first inning, the Pioneers started just like game one with a two run first inning. Frazier and Mewes both flew out to start the bottom half of the inning, but Schuck beat out a ball that was knocked down deep on the left side of the infield for a single. Senior center fielder Taylor Senter followed suit with a single of her own to the right side that saw Schuck taking third and Senter taking second on the outfield throw to try to get Schuck heading to third. Schuck scampered home on a wild pitch to put the Pioneers on the board. Junior left fielder Stella Wulker tripled to right to score Senter to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third the Pioneers doubled their lead to four as Mewes walked and Shuck doubled down the left field line to score Mewes. After a wild pitch moved Schuck to third, Wulker came up with a sacrifice line drive to plate Schuck.
For the third time in four innings, the Pioneers plated two runs in the frame. Freshman third baseman Addy Mack led off the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single, Teall came in to pinch hit and promptly took the second pitch she saw over the left field fence for a two run homerun, putting Transylvania up 6-0.
In the top of the fifth, Jeter returned for the Pioneers in the circle and quickly got the remaining two outs in the inning. Moshos finished the game with 4.1 innings pitched, giving up only one hit and adding two more strikeouts to her total (123). Jeter went 2.2 innings with two strikeouts to finish the game for Transy to take the doubleheader sweep of the Engineers.
With the regular season championship locked up, the Pioneers will be the number one seed and get to host the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's softball tournament May 11-14, 2023 at Hall Field. Game times and final seedings for all six teams advancing to the tournament will be announced by the conference shortly. Admission for the tournament is $10 per person, per day with 11 and under getting in free. There are no pass lists for the tournament championships.
