Ravens Roll Past Fightin’ Engineers, Fall to Panthers in HCAC Tournament

The fifth-seeded Anderson University baseball team closed out the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament splitting its two Day 3 games on Saturday at Kokomo Municipal Stadium in Kokomo.

Anderson rolled past third-seeded Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (25-19) by a score of 15-4 in Game 1. Top-seeded Hanover College (29-15) then handed Anderson a 6-1 loss. Hanover entered Saturday's contest ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA D-III Region VIII rankings.

GAME 1: ANDERSON 15, ROSE-HULMAN 4

Kade Kline put Rose-Hulman on the board with a first-pitch leadoff homer in the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the second, Brendan Tabor ripped a two-run double to put Anderson ahead 2-1.

Dalton Busboom smashed an RBI double for the Fightin' Engineers in the top of the third to even the score at 2-2.

Jed Downham cracked a run-scoring single in the fourth to put Anderson ahead 3-2.

Rose-Hulman evened the score in the top of the fifth when Jonathan Oliger knocked in Connor O'Connell on a sacrifice fly.

The Ravens plated six runs in the bottom of the fifth to charge to a 9-3 lead. Trey Dorton singled in a run. Justin Reed then drove in Charlie Jones and a fielder's choice. Griffin Wolf smashed a two-run double on the next at bat. Downham belted an RBI triple and then proceeded to score on the following at bat on a passed ball.

Colter Couillard-Rodak cracked an RBI single in the top of the sixth.

Anderson proceeded to score six more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Smitherman and Reed each singled in runs. Wolf smacked another two-run double and Connor Gordon ripped a two-run single.

On the game, Wolf went 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI to lead the Ravens. Downham finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a triple. Gordon went 2-for-4 and two RBI while Smitherman finished 2-for-5. Tabor contributed a two-run double and two walks. Reed added a single and two RBI. Dorton rounded out Anderson's 12 hits with a single. Jones also drew two walks.

Oliger went 2-for-3 with a triple. Kline delivered a solo homer, going 2-for-5. Couillard-Rodak and Busboom each finished 2-for-5 with a double. O'Connell went 2-for-4, while Mason Rasmussen and Garrett Loyed rounded out Rose-Hulman's 12 hits with singles.

Carter Knoblauch (7-2) recorded the win. He struck out six batters, issued one walk and allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits in six innings. Jacob Hoffman punched out two batters and gave up one walk and zero hits in two scoreless innings. Joe Wilson conceded zero walks and one hit in one scoreless inning.

Alec Lewandowski (1-5) suffered the loss. He struck out one batter, yielded three walks and surrendered seven runs (six earned) on five hits in four and two-thirds innings. Brad Nardi struck out one batter, conceded zero walks and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in one-third of an inning. Camden Judson walked two batters and conceded three runs on zero hits in one-third of an inning. Tyler Orr fanned a batter, walked zero batters and surrendered three runs on four hits in one-third of an inning. Evan Chung punched out a batter, yielded two walks and allowed zero runs on zero hits in one inning. Warren Goik retired the only batter he faced. Brett Borcherding punched out two batters, walked zero batters and gave up zero runs on one hit in one inning.

GAME 2: HANOVER 6, ANDERSON 1

Jake Danneman put Hanover in the driver's seat with a seeing-eye three-run triple in the top of the second. The Panthers would maintain a 3-0 lead through six innings.

Alex Christie singled in a run in the seventh to put Hanover up 4-0.

Robert Carroll drove in Matthew McCoy in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly.

Reed cracked an RBI single for the Ravens in the bottom of the eighth to cut their deficit to 5-1.

Eric Roudebush provided an insurance run in the ninth with a solo blast.

Downham went 2-for-4 with a double for the Ravens. Jones finished 2-for-3 while Dorton went 2-for-4. Reed rounded out Anderson's seven hits with a single.

Danneman went 3-for-5 with a three-run triple to lead the Ravens. Roudebush smashed a solo homer. Andrew Oesterling went 2-for-5 with a double while Reid Douglas finished 2-for-4. Carroll and Connor Farnsley turned in doubles while Sam Perkins and Christie rounded out Hanover's 12 hits with singles.

Marcus Goodpaster (5-1) collected the complete-game win for the Panthers. He struck out three batters, issued one walk and gave up one run on seven hits in nine innings.

Justin Schassburger (2-4) was tagged with the loss. He punched out six batters, yielded three walks and conceded four runs on 10 hits in six innings. C.J. Williams fanned two batters, issued one walk and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits in three innings.

COACH MATT BAIR'S COMMENTS

I'm so proud of the team and their sacrifices to be great players and men. They are champions.