Ravens Score 13 Runs in Win, Split Series with Hanover

The Anderson University softball team (5-19, 2-8) split with Hanover College (10-14, 5-3 HCAC) in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader on Saturday in Hanover.

Hanover took Game 1, 1-0. Anderson powered past the Panthers 13-2 in six innings in Game 2.

Game 1: Hanover 1, Anderson 0

Game 1 started again as a pitcher's duel between the two squads. There was not a hit recorded until the top of the fourth inning when Kyleigh Lowry singled into left field. On the hit, Ariel Lee who earlier walked would move to second. Neither Ravens were able to come around to score in the inning.

Hanover would earn their first hit of the game off of Alexis Kern. A Dani Steward single would bring in the only run scored in the game to help Hanover win 1-0. 

Kern went six innings, earning three strikeouts, only allowing three hits and one earned run. 

Inside the Box Score

• Alexis Kern - 6.0 IP, 3 K, 3 H, 1 ER
• Kyleigh Lowry - 1-3, 1 Single 
• Alysa Marcin - 1-3, 1 Single 
• Ashley Wheeler - 1-3, 1 Single 

Game 2: Anderson 13, Hanover 2 (F/6)

Game 2 was the same through the first two innings. In the top of the third, the Ravens bats got hot and they opened up the scoring.

Mackenzie Beattie led off the inning by reaching on an error. Two batters later, Kayla Dillinger hit a single into left field, advancing Beattie. The next batter, Lowry, also singled to load up the bases for Rylee Morris. Morris would single to third base, scoring Beattie to break the 0-0 tie. Back-to-back walks from Kylie Sloan and Paige Wickard with the bases loaded would make the score 3-0 Ravens after the top half of the third inning. Kaitlyn Hawkins would allow one hit and no runs in the bottom half of the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Beattie led off the inning with a solo homerun. Dillinger reached on a bunt single with one out in the inning. She would then advance to second on a wild pitch. The next batter for the Ravens, Lowry, was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Both Dillinger and Lowry would advance on another wild pitch to put runners on second and third for Morris at the plate. Morris hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Dillinger and make the lead 5-0.

Hanover answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth by way of an RBI single from Carson Kruse to make it a 5-1 ballgame.

The Ravens opened up the scoring more in the sixth. Katelynn Campbell reached on an error to lead off the inning. Campbell would advance to second on the groundout from Dillinger. The next batter, Lowry, was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to put runners on first and second again. Morris doubled to left field, scoring Campbell and advancing Dillinger to third. Sloan had a two-RBI single to make the lead, 8-1.

After a pitching change for Hanover in the sixth, Wickard singled, advancing Sloan to third. The next batter, Makayla Durick, singled to right field, scoring Sloan. Beattie added two more RBI's to her total with a double that would score Wickard and Durick making it a 11-1 Raven lead. Campbell would reach first for the second time in the inning by way of a walk. A Dillinger single scored Beattie to make it a 12-1 game. One batter later, an Alysa Marcin single would score Campbell and finalize the scoring for the Ravens making it a 13-1 score going into the bottom of the sixth.

Hanover was only able to score one run in the bottom of the sixth but it would not be enough to keep the game going as the game ended after six innings due to the NCAA run rule with a score 13-2.

Hawkins earned her second win in as many days, going four and two-thirds innings. She only allowed four hits and one earned run. 

Molly Buck would enter the game in relief and throw one and one-third innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. 

Inside the Box Score

• Kaitlyn Hawkins - W (2-1), 4.2 IP, 3 K, 1ER
• Kayla Dillinger - 3-5, 3 Singles, 2 Runs, RBI
• Kyleigh Lowry - 1-2, Single, Run, 
• Alysa Marcin - 1-1, RBI, Run
• Rylee Morris - 2-4, Double, 2 RBI, Run
• Kylie Sloan - 1-3, 3 RBI, Run
• Mackenzie Beattie - 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 Runs

Head Coach Tony Holloway's Comments

• Game 1, we wasted a good pitching performance. Alexis Kern pitched solid, but we only had three hits.
• Kaitlyn Hawkins threw on back-to-back days and had another solid outing. In Game 2, the bats woke up and we had 13 hits. 13 runs is the most we've scored all year. Hopefully we can see this momentum carry into Hope on Monday.

Up Next

Anderson hosts Hope College (18-8) on Monday, April 18 at Anderson University. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.