LEXINGTON, KY – Transylvania closed the regular season with a weekend series win against HCAC opponent Rose-Hulman.
In the first game of the series, the Pioneers fell to RHIT 7-3 on Friday evening at Legends Field. The Pioneers held a late lead but a five-run ninth inning by the Fightin' Engineers proved to be the difference. Rose-Hulman struck first with single runs in the second and third innings before Transylvania responded in the fifth. Seita Shiratori delivered an RBI single, and Chris Hedinger followed with an RBI base hit to tie the game. A throwing error later in the inning allowed Ethan Dillon to score, giving the Pioneers a 3-2 advantage.
That score held until the ninth, when Rose-Hulman capitalized on a series of hits and defensive miscues to plate five runs and take control for good. Drew Bowles took the loss despite a strong outing, going 8.1 innings with 12 strikeouts while allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits. With his eighth strikeout of the evening, Bowles set the new season record for strikeouts, reaching 95 on the season.
Offensively, Hedinger led Transylvania with two hits and an RBI, while Trevor Watkins also recorded two hits. Shiratori added a hit and an RBI, and the Pioneers totaled seven hits and five walks in the contest.
The Pioneers delivered a dramatic response with an 8-7 walk-off victory over Rose-Hulman in 10 innings on Saturday afternoon in game two. Ethan Dillon delivered the game-winning moment, launching a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the 10th to cap the comeback win for the Pioneers.
Transylvania trailed 7-3 after Rose-Hulman scored five runs in the fifth inning, but the Pioneers chipped away before erupting in the eighth. Dillon sparked the rally with a two-run double, and Chris Hedinger followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 7-7. Luke Patton earned the win out of the bullpen, tossing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to improve to 5-1 on the season. Kemper Dotson also delivered a key relief outing, allowing no runs over 3.2 innings to keep Transylvania within striking distance.
Dillon led the offensive effort, going 3-for-6 with three RBIs, including the game-tying double and walk-off home run. Nick Pietromonaco added two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs, while Max Finn recorded three hits and an RBI. Hedinger finished with two RBIs, and the Pioneers totaled 16 hits in the victory.
Transylvania closed the 2026 regular season with a dominant 10-0 victory over Rose-Hulman to take the series.
Henry Craig was outstanding, tossing a complete-game shutout. The right-hander allowed just three hits over eight innings while striking out six and walking two to earn his first win of the season.After four scoreless innings, Transylvania broke through with four runs in the fifth. Brenton Alcorn delivered a two-run single to spark the rally, while Kaden Ford added a sacrifice fly and Alcorn later came around to score on an error.
The Pioneers put the game away in the eighth inning, plating six runs on five hits. Trevor Watkins doubled in a run, Calvin Schubert added an RBI single, and Nick Pietromonaco contributed with a run-scoring hit. Seita Shiratori capped the inning with a two-run double as Transylvania extended the lead to 10-0. At the plate, Pietromonaco led the way with three hits and an RBI, while Alcorn added two hits and two RBIs. Schubert also recorded two hits and drove in a run, and Watkins finished with two hits and an RBI as the Pioneers totaled 12 hits. Transylvania's pitching and defense combined to limit Rose-Hulman to just three hits and no runs, sealing the shutout victory.
Up next, Transylvania will travel to Kokomo, Indiana for the 2026 HCAC Tournament. Stay tuned to TransySports.com for updates.
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