Anderson, Ind. – The Transylvania baseball team completed its regular-season journey on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader split against the Anderson University Ravens at Don Brandon Field in the regular-season finale.
The Pioneers fell in game one in a walk-off 7-6 loss but rebounded to win game two in a 6-3 victory to finish its season at 26-10 atop the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.
Transylvania finished the 2021 regular season with its best win-loss record in over a decade and captured its first HCAC regular-season championship in the Zack Getsee era. The Pioneers clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming HCAC Tournament, finishing ahead of second-place Franklin and Rose-Hulman, who each turned out records of 23-12.
Anderson rounded out its regular season with a 20-17 record to take fourth place in the conference standings.
The Pioneers entered game one looking to keep the bats hot and ride the momentum of their ace Jake Schmidt. Transylvania jumped out early in the first inning to an early 2-0 lead on a Hudson Chastain infield single that allowed Trent Youngblood to come home. Michael Blair laced an RBI double into the left-centerfield gap to score one more to assert the early Pioneer lead.
Anderson answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the first and were kept at bay until the Ravens evened the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning through an RBI single.
Transylvania rushed away from Anderson in the sixth inning as Trent Pahl shot an RBI single to centerfield to start a big inning for the Pioneers. Wade Lopiccolo drew a bases-loaded walk for the second run of the inning. Chastain reached a historic milestone with his third hit of the day and the 200th of his career, a two-out, two-run single to cap off a four-run inning for the Pioneers for a 6-2 lead.
The Ravens answered with a four-run inning in the seventh to tie the game at 6-6 heading into the closing stages. Anderson completed its comeback with a bases-loaded walk to win the game 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth.
Schmidt earned a no-decision over six innings, striking out five while surrendering two runs on four hits. Chastain's historic outing totaled a 3 for 4 showing at the plate with three singles, three RBI, and a walk.
Transylvania shook off the game-one ending by putting together a complete game from start to finish to sign off on its regular season with a win.
Riley Willbur's RBI base hit opened up the game two scoring as the Pioneers went ahead 1-0 after one frame and stretched their lead to 4-0 after two innings.
Chastain continued his torrid run on the season by lashing a single up the middle to score two runs to continue the scoring in the second inning. Wade Lopiccolo and Matt Broadwater both scored on wild pitches by Anderson, bolting the Pioneers out to a 5-0 lead after three innings.
The Ravens fought back by scoring three runs over the fourth and fifth innings to cut the Pioneer advantage to only two runs.
Nick Wade delivered the final blow with a solo bomb to right centerfield to raise Transylvania's lead back to three runs in the seventh inning as the Pioneers applied the finishing touches upon the regular season.
Evan Hall was stellar on the mound, earning the win in five innings of work as he moved to 6-2 on the year. Hall dealt five innings, striking out eight, while surrendering two earned runs on seven hits and zero walks. Collin Johnson worked the final four innings for the Pioneers, striking out four and scattering three hits while allowing no runs as he claimed his first save of the 2021 campaign.
Trent Youngblood was efficient in the lead-off spot by going 3 for 5 with three singles, and two runs scored. Pahl matched his freshman peer with three hits in four at-bats while Willbur added two hits in the win.
The Pioneers now look ahead to the 2021 HCAC Baseball Tournament, which begins next Friday, May 14. Official matchups and times and dates are expected to be announced later this weekend and will be posted online at TransySports.com.
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