Softball
Softball squad sweeps Franklin to cap 2008 season
Hanover College's softball team closed its 2008 season by sweeping a pair of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference games from Franklin College, Wednesday, April 30, at the L.S. Ayres Athletic Complex.
Hanover came from behind to earn a 4-3 victory in eight innings in the first game. The Panthers posted a 12-6 triumph against the Grizzlies in the season finale.
In the opener, freshman pitcher Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) hit a two-out double to score freshman outfielder Alesha Chilton (Hanover, Ind.) with the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Sophomore first baseman Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) scored the game-winner in the eighth inning on a single from freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) and a pair of Franklin miscues.
Franklin (5-27; 3-13 HCAC) led 3-1 after four innings. The Panthers pulled within 3-2 in the fifth inning. Chilton led off the inning with a single and later scored from third base when Hanner slapped a grounder to the left side of the infield.
Traver collected three of Hanover's eight hits. Merrill put the Panthers on the scoreboard in the first inning with a two-out solo home run. The homer was her first collegiate round-tripper.
Hanner (3-13) pitched all eight innings for Hanover. She scattered nine hits with three earned runs. She fanned three and did not issue a walk.
In the nightcap, Hanover tallied 17 hits, including six in the Panthers' five-run fourth inning.
Franklin led 6-5 after three innings before Hanover exploded for five runs to take command of the game. The Panthers sent nine batters to the plate in the inning. Senior first baseman Michaelia Gilbert (Clarksville, Ind.) and freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) keyed the outburst with two-run singles.
Hanover (5-27; 2-14 HCAC) had six extra-base hits in the game. Robinson, who was 4-for-4, had a double and triple. She also scored three runs and knocked in a trio of runs. Traver had two doubles among her three hits.
Merrill, who pitched seven innings for the Panthers, also had two hits, including a two-run single in the sixth inning. She allowed seven hits and four earned runs.
Hanover vs. Franklin - game one box score
Hanover vs. Franklin - game two box score
Mount St. Joseph earns tourney slot with wins
The College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) nailed down a spot in the four-team Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball tournament with a pair of victories at Hanover College. The HCAC games were played Tuesday, April 29, at the L.S. Ayres Athletic Complex.
Mount St. Joseph blanked Hanover, 9-0, in the first game. The Lions (14-20; 10-6 HCAC) held off the Panthers, 3-2, in eight innings in the second contest.
In the opener, Mount St. Joseph grabbed a 2-0 lead on a homer from Casey Brookbank in the second inning. The Lions, which outhit Hanover 13-5, locked up the triumph with a seven-run fourth inning.
Sophomore outfielder Alesha Chilton (Hanover, Ind.) posted two hits for the Panthers, which left five runners on base.
Freshman hurler Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) worked all five innings for Hanover. Hanner (2-13) scattered 13 hits and allowed four earned runs. She had one strikeout.
In the nightcap, Hanover erased a 2-0 deficit with one run in the fourth and fifth innings. Mount St. Joseph pushed a run across the plate in the top of the eighth inning and held the Panthers in the bottom half to seal the sweep.
Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) collected three of Hanover's six hits, including a solo home run in the fourth inning and a run-scoring single in the fifth. The homer was Traver's team-leading fourth of the year.
Freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) added two base hits for the Panthers (3-27; 0-14 HCAC), which left eight runners on base.
Sophomore Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) pitched eight complete innings. Merrill (1-9) limited Mount St. Joseph to just five hits. She gave up two earned runs with a walk and three strikeouts.
Hanover vs. Mount St. Joseph - game one box score
Hanover vs. Mount St. Joseph - game two box score
Manchester edges Hanover in two games
The Manchester College softball team squeezed passed Hanover College in a pair of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference games Thursday, April 24, in North Manchester, Ind.
Manchester needed a late three-run rally to knock off Hanover, 4-1, in the first game. The Spartans (9-19; 5-9 HCAC) earned a 1-0 win in the nightcap.
Hanover jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener. Manchester tied the game in the second and needed a three-run outburst in the sixth inning to post the victory.
Senior first baseman Michaelia Gilbert (Clarksville, Ind.) and freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) each had two hits for Hanover, which had six hits in the contest. Freshman designated hitter Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale Ind.) hit a triple and later scored in the first inning. Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had a double.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.), now 1-7 on the season, tossed six complete innings for Hanover. She allowed seven hits and just one earned run, with a walk and one strikeout. She also knocked in the Panthers' run with a grounder in the first inning.
In the second contest, Manchester plated one run in the second inning and held on for the 1-0 win. Hanover (3-21; 0-8 HCAC) had the potential tying run on second base in the sixth and seventh innings, but could not score.
Junior second baseman Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) hit a seventh-inning double for Hanover, which outhit the Spartans 5-4 in the game.
Hanner (2-10) was tagged with the loss despite surrendering just four hits in the game. She fanned one and did not allow a walk.
Hanover vs. Manchester - game one box score
Hanover vs. Manchester - game two box score
Skid reaches 10 with HCAC losses at Defiance
Defiance College (Ohio) swept two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference games from Hanover College's softball squad, Sunday, April 20, in Defiance, Ohio.
Defiance came from behind to post a 7-2 victory in the first game. Hanover was blanked, 4-0, in the second contest.
In the first tilt, Hanover (3-19; 0-6 HCAC) led 2-1 after batting in the second inning. Defiance grabbed a 3-2 lead with two runs in the third inning. The Yellow Jackets (16-13; 7-3 HCAC) scored one run in the fourth and plated three runs in the sixth inning for the final margin.
The Panthers were limited to just four hits in the game. Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had two of the hits, including a run-scoring single in the first inning.
Freshman Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) pitched a complete game for Hanover. Hanner (2-8) allowed nine hits and seven runs. She walked one and chalked up four strikeouts.
Hanover's offense was held to just four hits in the second game. The setback pushed the Panthers' losing skid to 10 games.
Freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) was 2-for-3 to lead the effort.
Senior Jennifer Nead (Cambridge City, Ind.) tossed all six innings for the Panthers. Nead (0-3) gave up eight hits and four runs. She posted one strikeout.
Hanover vs. Defiance - game one box score
Hanover vs. Defiance - game two box score
Hanover drops two HCAC games at Anderson
Hanover College's softball squad dropped a pair of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference games Saturday, April 19, in Anderson, Ind.
Anderson (11-17; 5-3 HCAC) defeated the Panthers 9-4 in the opener and 13-4 in the second game.
Junior second baseman Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) gave Hanover an early 4-0 lead with a first-inning grand slam in the first game. The homer was her first collegiate grand slam and her second home run of the season.
After allowing two Hanover hits in the first inning, Anderson sophomore pitcher Gretchen Louzon scattered just four hits and did not allow a run the rest of the way.
Freshman Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) had two hits for Hanover, including a double. Hanner (2-8) pitched all seven innings for the Panthers, allowing 14 hits and nine runs. She walked two and had one strikeout.
In the second game, Anderson built a 10-0 lead after three innings and limited the Panthers to just five hits in the 13-4 decision.
Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had two extra-base hits, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The dinger was Traver's team-leading third of the season.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) suffered the loss after working just two innings for Hanover (3-17; 0-4 HCAC). Merrill (1-6) surrendered nine hits and six earned runs. She issued three walks.
Hanover vs. Anderson - game one box score
Hanover vs. Anderson - game two box score
Spalding sweeps twinbill at Ayres Complex
The Spalding University (Ky.) softball team swept two games from Hanover College, Thursday, April 10, at the L.S. Ayres Athletic Complex.
Spalding outlasted Hanover, 4-3, in nine innings in the opener. The Pelicans, now 12-8 overall, blanked the Panthers, 6-0, in the second contest.
Tied 2-2 after six innings and 3-3 after eight, Spalding grabbed the first-game victory with one run in the top of the ninth inning.
Each team tallied eight hits in the contest. Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.), freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) and freshman designated hitter Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) each had two hits for Hanover. Merrill had two doubles and scored one run.
Junior second baseman Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) belted her first collegiate homer - a two-out solo shot to knot the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning. The home run marked Norton's team-leading eighth extra-base hit of the season.
Merrill (1-5) pitched all nine innings for the Panthers. She allowed eight hits and three earned runs. She issued three walks and registered four strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Spalding's Jennifer Franconia limited Hanover to just six singles in the Pelicans' 6-0 victory.
Spalding jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and pushed the advantage to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth inning.
Merrill had two singles to lead Hanover (3-15).
Hanner pitched all seven innings for the Panthers. She scattered 11 hits and surrendered six runs. Hanner (2-7) walked two and fanned six batters.
Hanover vs. Spalding - game one box score
Hanover vs. Spalding - game two box score
Transy takes two from Panthers in HCAC openers
Hanover College's softball team opened its 2008 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference slate with two losses to Transylvania University (Ky.). The games were played Wednesday, April 2, at the L.S Ayres Athletic Complex.
Transylvania posted an 11-2 triumph in the first game and blanked the Panthers, 8-0, in the nightcap.
Freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) had two of Hanover's four hits in the first outing. Robinson also knocked in one run and scored a run for the Panthers (3-11; 0-2 HCAC).
Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had a run-scoring double for Hanover.
Freshman Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) was tagged with the loss after pitching seven innings. Hanner gave up 14 hits and 11 runs. She walked one and had one strikeout.
In the second game, Transylvania's freshman pitcher Kendra DeArk limited Hanover to just three hits in the 8-0 setback.
Robinson, sophomore outfielder Megan Downey (Kokomo, Ind.) and sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) each had a base hit for the Panthers.
Merrill suffered the loss after allowing 11 hits and eight earned runs in five innings. She issued two walks.
Hanover vs. Transylvania - game one box score
Hanover vs. Transylvania - game two box score
Softball sweeps doubleheader at Franklin
The Hanover College softball team swept a doubleheader from Franklin College. The contests were played Wednesday, March 26, in Franklin, Ind.
Hanover notched a 10-6 victory in the first game and earned a 14-6 win in the nightcap.
The two victories marked the Panthers' first doubleheader sweep since March 13, 2004, when the squad defeated Centre College (Ky.), 3-2 and 10-9. The back-to-back victories were the first for Hanover since the 2005 season. The Panthers posted a 2-1 win against Franklin, March 17, and followed with a 1-0 victory against the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, March 19.
Hanover, now 3-9 overall, erupted for 15 hits in the opener. The Panthers led 4-3 after six innings and nailed down the victory with a six-run outburst in the seventh inning.
Nine Hanover players recorded hits in the contest. Five players had mulitple hits. Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) led the Panthers with three hits, including two doubles. She also scored twice and knocked in one run.
Freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) and sophomore designated hitter Megan Downey (Kokomo, Ind.) each had two hits, including a triple. Downey scored twice and had two runs-batted-in.
Freshman pitcher Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) picked up the victory with a complete-game outing. Hanner (2-2) scattered eight hits and six runs through seven innings. She walked one and had one strikeout.
Each team tallied 11 hits in Hanover's 14-6 win in the nightcap. Traver had a two-run triple in the fifth inning and added a solo home run in the seventh inning.
Junior second baseman Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) doubled twice and knocked in five runs for the Panthers. She hit a bases-loaded double to score three runs in the fourth inning and drove in one run with a two-base hit in the fifth inning.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) earned the victory with seven innings of work. Merrill (1-1) allowed 11 hits and five earned runs. She issued one walk and had two strikeouts.
Hanover vs. Franklin - game one box score
Hanover vs. Franklin - game two box score
Centre rallies for doubleheader sweep
The Hanover College softball team dropped a pair of games to Centre College (Ky.), Wednesday, March 12, in Danville, Ky.
Centre scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to grab a 3-1 victory in the first game. the Colonels (2-4) scored twice in the seventh inning to rally for a 10-9 triumph in the nightcap.
In the opener, junior second baseman Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) doubled and later scored on a double by freshman catcher Caitlin Wiedemer (Charlestown, Ind.) to tie the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning.
Centre, which outhit the Panthers 5-4 in the contest, used two hits to plate the game-winning runs in the sixth.
Wiedemer notched two of Hanover's four hits in the contest.
Freshman Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) suffered the loss after working six innings for the Panthers. She scattered five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
In the second game, Hanover built a 7-0 lead after batting in the second inning. Centre crawled back into the game and eventually trailed 9-8 after six innings. The Colonels' Laura Hufhagle hit a two-out single to drive in the game-winning runs.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) totaled four hits, two runs-batted-in and one run scored. Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had three hits and four RBI, including a three-run homer in a five-run first inning.
Merrill pitched five and-two thirds innings for the Panthers. She gave up nine hits with five walks and three strikeouts.
Hanner worked one inning of relief. She allowed three hits and two runs with a walk and two strikeouts.
Hanover vs. Centre - game one box score
Hanover vs. Centre - game two box score
Hanover closes Florida trip with two setbacks
Hanover College's softball squad capped its week-long stay in Florida with two losses to Valley City State University (N.D.). The doubleheader was played Thursday, Feb. 28, in Titusville, Fla.
In the opener, Valley City State exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to bolt into a 7-4 lead and ultimately win the contest. The Panthers aided the five-run outburst with three errors in the inning.
Down 2-0 after the first inning, Hanover tied the game on a two-run single by senior Jennifer Nead (Cambridge City, Ind.) in the fourth inning. The Panthers grabbed a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning when junior infielder Halie Norton (Reading, Ohio) knocked in two runs with a double.
Norton had two hits to lead Hanover's offense, which tallied eight hits in the game. Sophomore catcher Megan Downey (Kokomo, Ind.) also doubled for the Panthers.
Freshman hurler Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) suffered the loss for Hanover. Hanner scattered eight hits in seven innings. She walked two and had a pair of strikeouts.
Valley City State (4-0) posted a 10-4 victory in the second game. Hanover trailed 5-4 after three innings, but the Vikings plated three runs in the fourth inning and added two insurance runs in the seventh inning for the final margin.
The Panthers (1-5) managed just three hits in the contest, but scored four runs with the help of five Valley City State errors.
Nead pitched the first four innings for Hanover, allowing eight runs. Sophomore Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) worked the final three innings for the Panthers. Merrill allowed two runs and tallied three strikeouts.
Big innings spark Saint Vincent to doubleheader sweep
Saint Vincent College (Pa.) used two big innings to ultimately sweep a doubleheader from Hanover College's softball squad. The twinbill was played Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Titusville, Fla.
Hanover (1-3) held a 5-0 lead late in the second game before falling. Saint Vincent (3-1) scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for its third straight victory against the Panthers.
Hanover led 2-0 after three innings and tallied three runs in the fifth inning to build its five-run cushion.
Freshman outfielder Megan Robinson (Greencastle, Ind.) and freshman infielder Caitlin Wiedemer (Charlestown, Ind.) each had a double and single for Hanover. Robinson scored one run, as did freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.), who added a pair of singles.
Freshman Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) worked all seven innings for the Panthers. She fanned two and issued two walks.
In the first game, Saint Vincent scored all five of its runs in the fifth inning to post a 5-1 victory.
Sophomore pitcher Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) tossed four innings for the Panthers. Merrill had three strikeouts and allowed two base on balls.
Hanover totaled six hits in the opener. Robinson led the Panthers' offense with a triple and single.
Softball ends streak with season-opening win in Florida
Hanover College's softball team opened the 2008 campaign, and ended a 51-game losing streak, with a 2-1 victory against Saint Vincent College (Pa.). The contest was played Monday, Feb. 25, as part of a doubleheader, in Titusville, Fla.
Sophomore catcher Megan Downey (Kokomo, Ind.) snapped a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the seventh inning to lift Hanover to its first victory since the 2005 season. Downey had led off the inning with a walk, advanced to third on a pair of passed balls, and scored on a fielding error by the centerfielder.
Freshman shortstop Chelsea Traver (Wabash, Ind.) had two base hits to lead the Panthers (1-1). She also scored a run in the third inning and triggered the game-winner with a fly ball to the outfield.
Freshman pitcher Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) hurled a complete-game for Hanover. Hanner, in her first collegiate outing, scattered seven hits with one strikeout. She did not issue a walk. She gave up a seventh-inning single, but retired the next three hitters to end the game.
Saint Vincent (1-1) blanked Hanover, 4-0, in the second game. The Lady Bearcats' Ashley Whipkey kept Hanover's bats quiet with a complete-game two-hitter.
Traver had one of the Panthers' two hits. She also recorded 10 assists and three putouts.
Hanover had not won a game since a 1-0 home victory against Manchester College, April 16, 2005. The program had posted a 0-20 record in each of the past two seasons.