Anderson Advances Past Hanover to HCAC Double-Elimination Tournament

The fifth-seeded Anderson University baseball team locked up a 10-3 win against sixth-seeded Hanover College in Game 2 of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Opening Series on Saturday at Don Brandon Field. Anderson captured a 2-0 series win to advance to the double-elimination round of the HCAC Tournament.

Anderson (22-17) took an 8-0 victory against the Panthers (20-20) in Game 1 on Friday, behind a two-hit shutout from Kasey Henderson (Muncie, Ind./Cowan). In the two games, Anderson allowed a total of six hits. Seniors Bennie Day (Charlestown, Ind./Jeffersonville) Dustin Dowden (Lapel, Ind./Lapel), M.J. Furnish (Fishers, Ind./Heritage Christian), Zach Lane (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble), Kennedy Parker (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon), Branton Sanders (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland) Clayton White (Greenfield, Ind./Eastern Hancock) and Jonathan Willoughby (Speedway, Ind./Speedway) each closed out their careers at Don Brandon Field.

"We had two great team wins putting together all phases of the game," Coach Mathew Bair said. "I'm thankful our seniors were able to experience such a great feeling during their last home weekend at Don Brandon Field. Now it's time to prepare for the next mission."

On the second at bat of the game, Alex Christie doubled in a run to Hanover a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the first, Hanover walked Anderson's first three batters. Sanders tied the game after scoring off a wild pitch. T.J. Price (Anderson, Ind./Daleville) knocked in Justin Reed (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) on a sacrifice fly. Grahm Reedy (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) then drove in Rene Casas Jr. (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) on a groundout to give Anderson a 3-1 lead.

Casas Jr. led off the third with a single. After Reedy and Willoughby drew walks, Jason Hall-Manley (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) teed off for a grand slam to put Anderson ahead by six. The junior from New Palestine smashed his second grand slam of the season.

Reed plated a run in the fourth off a wild pitch.

In the top of the fifth, Christie belted a two-run single. During the bottom half of the inning, Furnish and Reed each contributed RBI singles.

Hall-Manley cranked a grand slam for the Ravens, going 2-for-5 at the plate. Furnish went 2-for-5. Reed and Casas Jr. rounded out Anderson's six hits with singles. Willoughby also stole two bases.

Anderson utilized its free passes by drawing 14 walks. Willoughby drew five walks. Casas Jr. drew three walks while Sanders, Reed and Reedy drew two walks apiece.

Walker Stull (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) (4-2) captured the win. He struck out eight batters, issued four walks and allowed three runs on three hits in five innings. Evan Doan (Frankton, Ind./Frankton) picked up his first save of the season. He punched out three batters, yielded a walk and gave up a hit in four scoreless innings.

Christie went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs for the Panthers. Charlie Burton and Cole Sherman rounded out Hanover's four hits with singles.

Jordan Parker (4-6) suffered the loss. He walked seven batters and scattered seven runs on two hits in three innings. Marcus Goodpaster struck out a batter, yielded four walks and surrendered three runs on two hits in one inning. Matthew Alter issued zero walks and allowed zero runs on one hit in one inning. Charlie Joyce fanned three batters, yielded three walks and gave up zero runs on one hit in three innings.

Five teams remain in the HCAC Tournament as they compete in a double-elimination tournament next week in Lexington, Ky. The Ravens are currently scheduled to open against eighth-seeded Bluffton University (18-22) on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.