Ravens Fight to Split with Quakers

The Anderson University baseball team fought to a split with Earlham College during Saturday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader in Richmond.

Earlham (6-2, 6-2) fended off Anderson (4-4, 4-4) with a 4-3 win in Game 1. The Ravens secured a 6-3 victory in Game 2.

"We are doing a lot of things really well and we have played four really good teams out of the gate, but we have to learn to close the door and not give up the 'big innings' by executing the things within our control," Coach Mathew Bair said. "I see us making strides every game, and I do believe we will be a tough team to beat by the end of the year, but we need to keep maturing, both fundamentally and emotionally to keep the inches of momentum within a game going our way. This includes all phases of the game: on the mound, in the field and at the plate. I'm proud of our guys and we will get there!"

GAME 1: EARLHAM 4, ANDERSON 3

Grahm Reedy (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) went 4-for-4 at the plate. T.J. Price (Anderson, Ind./Daleville) finished 2-for-4. M.J. Furnish (Fishers, Ind./Heritage Christian) provided a double while Branton Sanders (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland), Jason Hall-Manley (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) and Tyler Smitherman (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) rounded out Anderson's 10 hits with singles. Hall-Manley and Smitherman each drove in runs.

Kennedy Parker (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon) (0-1) struck out five batters, issued three walks and allowed four runs on seven hits in seven innings. Smitherman allowed one walk and zero hits in one scoreless inning.

GAME 2: ANDERSON 6, EARLHAM 3

Hall-Manley went 2-for-3 for the Ravens. Jonathan Willoughby (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) finished 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run single. Sanders contributed a double while Furnish and Bennie Day (Charlestown, Ind./Jeffersonville) rounded out Anderson's seven hits with singles. Sanders, Reedy, Justin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) and Furnish each added RBIs.

Kasey Henderson (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) (2-1) captured the win. He fanned eight batters, yielded two walks and gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven and one-third innings. Smitherman picked up his first save of the season. He punched out three batters, issued a walk and allowed zero hits in one and two-thirds scoreless innings.

UP NEXT

Anderson hosts Bluffton University (1-6-1, 1-6-1) in an HCAC doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Don Brandon Field.