LEXINGTON, KY - Transylvania swept a Saturday Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) doubleheader with Manchester at John and Donna Hall Field.
In game one, the Pioneers defeated Manchester 6-0 behind a complete-game shutout from
Maddie Goddard. Goddard improved to 9-0 in the circle, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five across seven innings. The Pioneers scored one run in each of the first six innings and finished with 10 hits while committing no errors.
Avery Parsons led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a walk and a triple. Ella Steczynski added two hits, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Taylor Ingram went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Emilie Young doubled in the opening run and Raegan Gibson added an RBI single in the sixth. Transylvania opened the scoring in the first inning when Young doubled to left field to bring home Parsons. Kailey Goetz scored in the second on a bases-loaded walk, and Gibson came home in the third on Ingram's RBI single to make it 3-0.
Parsons tripled in the fourth and scored on Steczynski's RBI single. Ingram doubled home Emily Shearer in the fifth before Gibson singled to right field in the sixth to score Steczynski and give the Pioneers the final 6-0 advantage.
The Pioneers completed the sweep with a 10-2 victory in six innings in the second game of the afternoon, breaking open a tight game with a six-run sixth inning and finishing with eight hits and drawing nine walks.
Raegan Gibson earned the win in the circle, improving to 5-3 on the season. She allowed two runs on three hits over 5.1 innings while striking out three. Natalie Contreras closed out the final two outs to secure the run-rule victory. Avery Parsons led the offense with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI, while Ella Steczynski added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI. Kailey Goetz drove in two runs, and Malana Hamm delivered the biggest swing of the day with a bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning and later stole home.
Transylvania jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Goetz singled to center field to drive in two runs. Manchester responded with single runs in the second and fifth innings to tie the game at 2-2. The Pioneers regained the lead in the fifth as Parsons launched a two-run home run to make it 4-2.
In the sixth, Transylvania took control for good. Hamm's three-run triple highlighted the inning, followed by aggressive baserunning that led to additional runs, including Hamm stealing home. The Pioneers added insurance runs throughout the frame to reach the final 10-2 margin and end the game early.
Up next, Transylvania hosts Wilmington in a non-conference regular season finale at John and Donna Hall Field on Sunday.
Transylvania University is a proud member of the NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of the Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
