On a beautiful Saturday, the AU Baseball and Softball teams hosted the Franklin Grizzlies. At Don Brandon Field, the baseball team swept the Grizzlies by a score of 4-2 in both games. Softball was a different story, losing both games to the conference-leading Grizzlies.
BASEBALL
The bats were rolling early in game one, Franklin scored a run in the first, and AU answered, scoring three. Jon Dorsch delivered the first run, then Zayden Stiller hit a single to score two. Stiller had a great game, going (2-3) with two hits. He also scored on a wild pitch later in the game to make it 4-1. Rhet Hackman pitched all the way to the 8th inning, when Carter Knoblauch came into the game to record the save for the Ravens after a late rally for the Grizzlies.
Hackman is now 5-1 on the season, leading the Ravens in wins. Knoblauch recorded his second save of the season as well. The Ravens only had three hits as a team, with two being from Stiller, but the key to victory was the patience behind the plate, record 3 walks and making the undefeated pitcher for Franklin, Chase Wagner, pitch a lot of pitches.
In the second game, the Ravens once again scored three runs in the first inning, a Griffin Wolf single, and two unearned runs from Dylan Hogan and Landon Gum putting the ball in play. Braden Richey controlled the game the whole game, allowing five hits and two runs. In the bottom of the 6th, Dylan Hogan hit his fourth home run of the year, with a solo shot to left. Then Kyan Miller sealed the deal with no hits allowed, and a save.
Braden Richey expanded his record to 4-3. While the Ravens hit better in the second game, with six hits. Trey Dorton received his long-awaited 200th hit as well, adding to a great career for him.
The Ravens are now 17-12-1 after a Sunday loss to Marietta College. They sit third in the HCAC with a 8-4 record, four games back from first-place Earlham College.
SOFTBALL
The AU Softball team looked to surprise a really solid Franklin team Saturday but came up short. The Ravens were run-ruled in the sixth inning in the first game 13-3. However, the Ravens hit the ball really well, recording nine hits as a team. Lindsay Pickering had two of them after a double that scored two runs.
In the second game, the Ravens fought hard with the conference leaders. After being down 3-0. The Ravens scored three runs in the fifth inning, with help from a Maddie Schoenradt single that scored two. Then Lindsay Pickering had another big hit with her first home run of the season. The Ravens could not hold onto the lead to the end after a two-run 7th inning from the Grizzlies.
The Ravens are now sitting at 9-17 on the season after splitting the series against Hanover on Sunday. They are 3-5 in conference play, sitting seventh in the standings and four games back from Franklin.