LEXINGTON, Ky.—In its first Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference road game of the season, the Transylvania University baseball team picked up its first HCAC win over the Hanover College Panthers by a score of 7-5.

The Pioneers controlled the game from the opening inning, using a double from outfielder Hunter Voshell and an RBI single from outfielder Hunter Jones to plate one run in the first. After starting pitcher Jamie King held the Panthers scoreless in the bottom of the first, Transylvania continued to build its lead in the second.

Designated hitter Connor Blevins led off the top of the second with a single, followed by a single from second baseman Kody Ross. First baseman Taylor Henley laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners but an error by Hanover allowed Blevins to score.  Catcher Blake Hart kept the inning alive with a walk and shortstop Jared Williams singled to load the bases. Outfielder Trey Simpson singled to bring home one run before Voshell recorded a sacrifice fly to push the Transy lead to 4-0.

King held the Hanover offense at bay over the next two innings, allowing no runners in the second. In the third, King walked the leadoff hitter and after a sacrifice bunt and single put runners on the corners with one out, King induced a double-play groundball to end the inning unscathed.

Hanover scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and one Transylvania error and one run in the bottom of the fifth on two hits to even the score at 4. The Pioneers responded in the top of the sixth to move back in front and take a lead they would not lose the rest of the game.

In the sixth, Henley led off the inning with a hit by pitch and Hart singled to put two on with no outs. A sacrifice bunt from Williams put runners in scoring position for Simpson, who recorded a two RBI single to center field and put the Pioneers on top 6-4. Transy extended its lead even further in the top of the seventh after Ross hit a leadoff double and a Henley sacrifice moved him to third. Hart came to the plate and hit a deep drive to center for a sacrifice fly and pushed Transylvania ahead by three runs.

Hanover threatened in the bottom of the eighth, when a leadoff single and wild pitch put a runner on second with no outs. After an RBI single from the Panthers made the score 7-5, pitcher Bryce Crader recorded a strikeout for the first out of the inning before being relieved by Tom Banahan out of the bullpen. Banahan allowed single to the first batter he faced before striking out the next two hitters to end the frame and halt the Hanover rally.

Banahan went out for the bottom of the ninth and recorded an easy inning, retiring the Panthers in order to seal the victory for Transylvania.

The Pioneers outhit Hanover by a margin of 14-10 in the contest, with five players recording multi-hit games: Simpson, Voshell, Blevins, Ross and Hart. Simpson also knocked in a game-high three RBIs for the Pioneers. On the mound, the Transylvania combination of King, Adam Boone, Crader and Banahan combined to baffle the Hanover hitters and scattering 10 hits, stranding four runners and forcing three double-plays. Boone picked up the win, going two innings and striking out two while allowing just one run. Banahan recorded the save, going 1.2 scoreless innings and striking out two on just one hit.

Transylvania (4-11, 1-4 HCAC) continues HCAC this weekend in a three-game series against Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. The Pioneers will play one game on Friday at 4:00 p.m. followed by a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.