Transylvania Fends off Anderson on Senior Day

Transylvania University fended off the Anderson University softball team with a sweep on Senior Day during Sunday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader at the Raven Softball Field.

The Pioneers (17-9, 5-1) edged the Ravens (2-16, 0-6) by a score of 1-0 in Game 1. Transylvania then secured a 6-3 win in Game 2.

GAME 1: TRANSYLVANIA 1, ANDERSON 0

In the bottom of the second inning, Alysa Marcin led off the inning with a single. Kyleigh Lowry moved Marcin to second on a sacrifice bunt. Marcin then took third on a foul out, but Transylvania's Carlee Jeter recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

In the third, Ariel Lee contributed a two-out single. A dropped fly ball allowed Molly Buck to reach second base on an error while Lee advanced to third. The Pioneers forced a fly out to end the innings.

Alyssa Nunn singled with out in the top of the fifth. Abby Frazier drew a walk and Stella Wulker singled to load the bases. Lexi Rankin recorded a strikeout for the Ravens to bring the inning to two outs. On a full count with two outs, Annie Schuck drew an RBI walk to put the Pioneers on the board. A ground out by Carson Murray on the next at bat would end the inning.

Lowry and Faith Muterspaugh led off the seventh with consecutive singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. The Ravens then fouled out on a bunt. A fly out advanced Muterspaugh and Lowry to second and third, respectively, with two outs. The Ravens flew out as Transylvania sealed Game 1.

Lee, Lowry, Marcin and Muterspaugh each provided singles in Game 1, rounding out Anderson's four hits. Rankin (1-6) suffered the loss. She struck out six batters, surrendered six walks and allowed one run on four hits in seven innings.

GAME 2: TRANSYLVANIA 6, ANDERSON 3

In the top of the first, Nunn brought in Frazier to score on a sacrifice bunt. Emilie Teall also doubled in a run to put the Pioneers ahead 2-0.

Frazier cracked an RBI single for the Pioneers in the second. Taylor Senter then ripped a two-run double in the fifth to give Transylvania a 5-0 lead.

In the sixth, Buck smashed a three-run home run to cut Anderson's deficit to 5-3.

Schuck added an insurance run with a run-scoring single in the seventh.

Buck delivered a three-run blast to lead the Ravens. Dillinger belted a triple while Lowry and Ashley Wheeler each produced doubles. The Ravens received singles from Marcin and Katelynn Campbell to round out their six hits. Alexis Kern (1-6) issued two walks and surrendered five runs (four earned) on nine hits in five innings. Kaitlyn Hawkins fanned a batter, yielded one walk and conceded one run on four hits in two innings.

SENIOR DAY

Prior to the contest, the Ravens recognized Mackenzie Beattie, Taylor Johnson and Lee for Senior Day.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMENTS

• Mackenzie Beattie – Senior Day went well. It was definitely a tough competition between us and Transylvania. That was a good fight for us even though we ended up losing. Senior Day for us was kind of bittersweet because us seniors haven't seen Senior Day since 2019 with the COVID year and not having any seniors last year. It's kind of a crazy turnaround since this is only the second Senior Day we have experienced since being at AU and it's ours.
• Taylor Johnson – It's crazy to think we're already here. It was nice to be out there with people I have been with the past three or four years. I didn't think it would come this fast, but now that we're here, it's crazy to think that my career here with softball is about done. We really appreciate our teammates for putting in all of the work that they did.
• Ariel Lee – It's just crazy thinking we are already seniors and how quickly everything has gone by. It feels like just yesterday when we were coming out for fall ball practices [during freshman season]. Nerves were high because we were trying to compete with all of these upperclassmen. It's just crazy to think we are already here now. We only have a couple of weeks left of school and it's our last season of playing softball ever. It kind of pulls your heartstrings a little bit, but it's really bittersweet.

COACH TONY HOLLOWAY'S COMMENTS

• The first ballgame, we did everything right but score. We got a good pitching performance from Lexi Rankin. We left four opportunities with runners in scoring position, we didn't get the hit and [Transylvania] figured out how to scratch a run, so hats off to them in Game 1.
• The second game, we didn't field the bunt very well. They bunted for four or five base hits, which turned into probably three of their six runs.
• I thought we got a strong performance from Alexis Kern even though it wasn't quite as sharp as she usually is.
• We made some great defense. It was pretty much like we had a whole revamped infield and outfield. A lot of people in new places, which is something we've been working on the past couple of practices. Molly Buck playing third base for the first time, Kyleigh Lowry over at second, three new outfielders in different positions, part of that being that Taylor Johnson is out.
• What comes to mind with this senior class is surviving. Their class was a bigger class. Mackenzie Beattie has been through some shoulder problems during the first couple of years. She probably could have walked away and said that the injuries were too much, but stuck it out and is now getting ready to graduate after playing four years.
• Ariel Lee, 10 months ago was dealing with her ACL, meniscus and all kinds of surgeries and has just battled back. I thought she played a really nice left field [on Sunday] and that is the first time she has been out in left field since her freshman year.
• What can you say about Taylor Johnson?  She was our spark. She was hitting .500 [this season prior to her injury]. That's a tough bat to take out of the lineup along with a senior leader, speed, things like that. In that 1-0 game, I'd like to think that if she had been her normal self at the plate, we probably get a couple more chances to score.

UP NEXT

Anderson hosts Manchester University (8-16, 0-4) in an HCAC doubleheader on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Raven Softball Field.