Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania baseball team continued its torrid run at the plate while sweeping the Defiance College Yellow Jackets in a doubleheader at Legends Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Pioneers stormed back with a late charge to earn a 7-5 victory in the first contest and conducted an offensive assault by battering the Yellow Jackets, 14-2 in the seven-inning second leg.
 
The victories move the Pioneers up to 19-8 overall and in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference contests. The Yellow Jackets fall to 6-22 both overall and in HCAC play.
 
Hudson Chastain reeled off a six-hit, five-RBI afternoon to lead an offensive charge for the Pioneers, who showed off their offensive depth all day long.


Defiance jumped on the Pioneers early in game one by scoring two runs in the second inning via a sacrifice fly and a double. The Transylvania offense was stymied for the first four innings of the contest, only managing two hits in that span as the Defiance lead swelled to a margin of three runs heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
The bats woke up for the Pioneers in the fifth as back-to-back hits from Parker Tuszynski and Trent Pahl placed them in prime position.
 
Wade Lopiccolo laced an RBI single to centerfield to open the scoring for the Pioneers. An ensuing wild sequence occurred as Lopiccolo was caught stealing from first, and Pahl raced home from third, dodging a tag at home to score another run and keep the Pioneers threatening. Hudson Chastain shot a single up the middle to score Lopiccolo, knotting the game at 3-3. The inning was capped with a Riley Willbur two-run moonshot to right field in a five-run explosion, vaulting the Pioneers to a 5-3 lead.
 
Defiance tied the game with a two-run sixth inning and the Pioneers sought to retake the lead, eventually discovering the winning moment in the bottom of the eighth.
 
As Devyn Wilson-Cowan reached first after being hit by pitch, Parker Tuszynski executed a hit-and-run to perfection by slotting a single through the right side, ensuring Wilson-Cowan reached third base. A Pahl sacrifice fly RBI to score Wilson-Cowan was followed by another Lopiccolo RBI double to bring home Tusynski and push the Pioneers in front to the final score of 7-5.
 
Riley Wilbur powered the Pioneer offense by going 2 for 4 with one home run, one single, two RBI, and one run scored.
 
Jared Leuthart was instrumental in relief and earned the win to move to 3-1 on the season. He dealt three innings while allowing zero runs on only two hits.
 
Chastain's bat grew hotter as the afternoon progressed, igniting the Pioneers to a 15-hit performance in the capper.
 
A Trent Youngblood lead-off triple set the tone for the remainder of the game. Chastain singled through the right side to open the scoring as Willbur immediately followed up with an RBI double to left field to ride the momentum. Andrew Winningham provided a sacrifice fly RBI to center to score the third and final run of the inning, earning the Pioneers an early 3-0 advantage.
 
The Pioneers continued their assault in the second inning by tallying six more runs through a plethora of opportunities. Lopiccolo drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left centerfield as Chastain immediately followed up his senior counterpart with another RBI single. A Defiance error and three walks drawn with the bases loaded extended the Pioneer lead to 9-0 after two innings.
 
Chastain notched his second triple of the day and the season, to score one run in the third. Willbur rewarded his comrade by driving him in with a single to left center in the third inning for an 11-0 outlook.
 
Chastain came to the plate in the following inning and the result was the same as the infielder lined an RBI double to left field, swelling the lead to 13-1.
 
An RBI single from Lopiccolo and one additional run from Defiance rounded out the scoring as the Pioneers won 14-2 and scored at least 10 runs for the sixth time in the last eight games.
 
Chastain starred for the Pioneers by going 4 for 5 with one triple, a double, four RBI, and three runs scored.
 
Collin Johnson earned his first win of the season to move to 1-0 as he dealt four innings while collecting five strikeouts and only surrendering one run on four hits.
 
The Pioneers are slated for a midweek clash at the Mount St. Joseph University Lions at UC Health Stadium in Florence, Kentucky. First pitch for the contest is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
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