Anderson Splits with Franklin

The Anderson University Ravens softball team (7-25, 3-11) split in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader against Franklin College (19-14, 10-4) at the Raven Softball Field on Tuesday afternoon. 

Game 1 went to Franklin by a score of 6-3. The Ravens took Game 2 by a score of 9-3.

Coach Tony Holloway's Comments

• Game 1, we left a couple of opportunities. We had runners on second and third with nobody out and we didn't get a run home.
• We came back and made [Game 1] a 6-3 ball game. We had a couple of timely hits. If we made one or two more plays, we may have even had a victory.
• It was a very satisfying win in Game 2. We finally got our bats going and had seven extra-base hits, three home runs and nine runs.
• Lexi Rankin had five strong innings for us.
• What can you say about Kaitlyn Hawkins? She came in and threw five shutout innings in Game 1 and came back and threw two more shutout innings in Game 2.
• Hopefully we can start figuring this out. I know it's late in the year, but it gives us some momentum and a little bit of something for us to build on next year.

Game 1: Franklin 6, Anderson 3

Franklin jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after the top of the third inning. The Ravens fought back in the fourth getting one back when Kyleigh Lowry scored on a groundout from Alysa Marcin. 

The Ravens also scored two in the seventh off of a Kylie Sloan single that brought home Ariel Lee and Ashley Wheeler but it would not be enough to bring the Ravens back. 

Alexis Kern started the game for the Ravens going two full innings and allowing six runs, four of them earned. 

Kaitlyn Hawkins came in, in relief in the top of the third and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only six hits, no runs while earning seven strikeouts. 

Inside the Box Score

• Ashley Wheeler - 2-3, Run
• Ariel Lee - 2-3, Double, Run
• Molly Buck - 2-2, 2 Doubles
• Kaitlyn Hawkins - 5 IP, 6 Hits, 0 Runs, 7 K's

Game 2: Anderson 9, Franklin 3

Franklin started hot, scoring one run in the first but Ravens starting pitcher, Lexi Rankin worked out of the jam only allowing the one run. 

In the bottom half of the first, Lee led off with an infield single. She was moved to second after a sacrifice bunt from Taylor Johnson. Molly Buck walked, putting runners on first and second for Wheeler, who doubled to center field, scoring both Lee and Buck. Sloan traded places with Wheeler also hitting an RBI double. Just one batter later, Rankin cranked a two-run homerun, the first homer of her career, to make the lead 5-1. Still in the first inning, Lowry earned herself a two-out single. The next batter, Faith Muterspaugh doubled into the center field gap scoring Lowry, giving the Ravens a six-run first inning. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Lee earned a one out single. With two outs in the inning, Buck smashed a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 8-1. 

A couple of singles helped the Grizzlies score two in the top of the fifth to make it a 8-3 game. 

The sixth inning was led off with Lowry blasting a solo home run, making it a 9-3 game that would hold until the end of the game. 

Rankin (2-8) would earn her second win of the year, going five innings allowing only 7 hits and three earned runs. 

Hawkins came into the game in the sixth to finish it out, allowing no hits, no walks, no runs and striking out four of the six batters she faced.

Inside the Box Score

• Ariel Lee - 2-3, 2 Runs
• Molly Buck - 1-2, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, HR
• Ashley Wheeler - 1-3, Run, 2 RBI, Double
• Kylie Sloan - 2-3, Run, RBI, 2 Doubles 
• Lexi Rankin - HR, 2 RBI, SB, 5 IP, 3 ER
• Kyleigh Lowry - 2-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, HR
• Kaitlyn Hawkins - 2 IP, 4 K's, 0 Hits, 0 ER
• Faith Muterspaugh - Double

Up Next

The Ravens close out the regular season with an HCAC doubleheader with Rose-Hulman institute of Technology (13-13, 0-10) on Saturday, April 30 at 1 p.m. in Terre Haute.