Anderson Splits with Conference-Leading Transylvania

The Anderson University baseball team split with conference-leading Transylvania University during Saturday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader at Don Brandon Field.

Anderson (20-17, 20-17) captured a 7-6 victory in Game 1 as Tyler Smitherman (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) drew a walk-off walk. Transylvania took Game 2 with a 6-3 win.

"It was a great way to finish the regular season on our home field playing two great baseball games," Coach Mathew Bair said. "We are excited for the conference tournament this coming weekend."

GAME 1: ANDERSON 7, TRANSYLVANIA 6

Branton Sanders (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland) went 3-for-3 with a leadoff solo home run and an RBI double. Bennie Day (Charlestown, Ind./Jeffersonville) finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. M.J. Furnish (Fishers, Ind./Heritage Christian) produced a double. Justin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville), Rene Casas Jr. (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights), T.J. Price (Anderson, Ind./Daleville) and Johnathan Willoughby (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) rounded out Anderson's 10 hits with singles. Casas Jr. and Smitherman each provided RBIs while Price stole two bases.

Walker Stull (3-2) put together the win. He struck out four batters, issued two walks and allowed three hits in three scoreless innings. Kasey Henderson (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) fanned three batters, yielded four walks and gave up six runs (two earned) on eight hits in six innings.

GAME 2: TRANSYLVANIA 6, ANDERSON 3

Sanders went 2-for-3 with a double. Casas Jr. finished 2-for-4 with an RBI double while Reed went 2-for-5 with an RBI double. Day finished 2-for-4. Price and Smitherman rounded out Anderson's 10 hits with singles.

Jose Olivo (Knightstown, Ind./Knightstown) struck out two batters, issued one walk and allowed one run on five hits in six innings.

UP NEXT

The HCAC Tournament opens with a best of three series next weekend with Game 1 set for Friday and Game 2 set for Saturday. Game 3 will also occur on Saturday if necessary. Anderson is currently projected to earn the No. 4 seed and host No. 7 seed Manchester University (19-20). Times for the series have yet to be determined.