Anderson Picks Up Split with Manchester

The Anderson University softball team picked up their first conference win on Tuesday when Anderson split its series with the Manchester University Spartans in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference double header.

Anderson (3-17, 1-7) fell to their conference rival Manchester (9-17, 1-5) in Game 1 by a score of 4-1 before breaking their losing streak and securing a 3-2 victory while at home on the Raven Softball Field.

GAME ONE: MANCHESTER 4, ANDERSON 1

"The first game, we just didn't execute very well at all," Coach Tony Holloway said. "We had a couple of baserunning mistakes. We had a couple of chances to do some things. Lexi Rankin only gave up a couple of earned runs. If we're not going to hit, we cannot make mistakes defensively. Even though we had seven hits in the first game, they weren't timely hits; they were hits with nobody on. When we needed our timely hits, we didn't get them. That's been kind of the story of our whole year."

Manchester got the game started early in the top of the first inning when they put two runs up on the board after a Lizzie Smith double. Anderson quickly answered, cutting the Spartans lead in the bottom of the first. The Ravens series began when Kayla Dillinger singled through the left side to reach first base. Dillinger reached second on the next play after an Ariel Lee sacrifice bunt. Molly Buck then stepped up to bat for the Ravens and singled through the left side, allowing Dillinger to score and put the Ravens on the board. At the end of the first inning, the Ravens trailed the Spartans 2-1.

Both sides went 3-up, 3-down in the second inning.

The Spartans added on their third run in the top of the third inning after a Kodi Douglass single brought in Julianne Gosnell.

The fourth and fifth inning remained scoreless before the Spartans picked up the final run of the game in the sixth. A Delayne Sanchez single scored Amiyah Lyster to secure the visiting teams' 4-1 victory over the Ravens.

Kayla Dillinger, Molly Buck, and Sami Herron all ended the game going 2-for-3, with Dillinger recording the Ravens lone run and Buck tallying the RBI. Buck and Herron both doubled during the contest while Dillinger and Ashley Wheeler both recorded a stolen base.

GAME TWO: ANDERSON 3, MANCHESTER 2

Game 2 remained even between the two teams before the Ravens put up two runs in the third. After going down by one in the count, Dillinger advanced to second after a throwing error in her at bat. A Kyleigh Lowry single up the middle of the field sent her to first before advancing to second on the throw. Dillinger reached third during the play. Buck then brought home Dillinger with a single to second base. Lowry then scored the Ravens' second run after Lee bunted for a suicide squeeze. At the end of the inning, the Ravens led 2-0.

After two innings of no action, the Spartans tied the game up 2-2 in the sixth when Gosnell scored off a sacrifice fly followed by Izzy Dittmar after a Smith single.

Then, in the bottom of the seventh, the Ravens secured their first conference and home victory of the 2022 season. After recording one out, Dillinger singled up the middle to get the Ravens on the bases. Unfortunately, Dillinger got out on the next play after a fielder's choice, but this allowed Lowry to reach first. Lowry then stole second to get in scoring position. The Ravens then had a runner on first and second when Buck was walked. The winning run came during the next play when Lee reached second on a Spartan throwing error. This allowed Buck to advance to third and send home Lowry to give the Ravens a 3-2 victory.

In the box score, Molly Buck finished the game 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk. Kayla Dillinger and Kyleigh Lowry both went 1-for-4 with Dillinger recording one run and Lowry two. Macy Hussung recorded a double. Ariel Lee added on one RBI. Two Ravens, Lowry and Brianna Bell earned a stolen base during the game. Alexis Kern received the win on the mound after pitching all seven innings. Kern allowed five hits, two runs, and one walk while striking out two.

"During the second game, we jumped out 2-0 and then we put the bats to bed. We won on a bad throw to first. We had hits, but they weren't timely hits. We had both our starting middles in Jayden Brown and Sami Herron out of the lineup in Game 2, but let's tip our hats to Mabrey Buis and Katelynn Campbell. They played well up the middle for us; it was enough for us to get a victory. I thought both of our pitchers played well, we played a little bit better defense in that second game and we were in the game in the second game. Whether or not it was on an error at the end of the game, I have to be honest, this is the first time we've had any lady luck all year."

UP NEXT:

Anderson will be back in action on Friday for a non-conference doubleheader against the Adrian College Bulldogs (7-15) on the Raven Softball Field. First pitch of Game 1 will begin at 1 p.m., followed by Game 2.