HANOVER, Ind. – The Hanover College baseball team suffered two losses at home to Earlham Saturday afternoon in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

The Panthers fall to 8-12 overall and 0-4 in the HCAC. Earlham's victories improve them to 11-12 overall and 3-3 in league play.

GAME ONE RECAP (L, 12-3)

Senior Tyler Fitch (Crestwood, Ky.) and junior Mark Walkenhorst (Fort Thomas, Ky.) combined for four of Hanover's eight hits in the game, as each went 2-for-4 at the plate. The Quakers though, enjoyed a 15-8 edge in total his in the opener.

The Quakers were first to strike with a home run in the top of the first. Still trailing by one run, senior Ty Stover (Galveston, Ind.) gave HC a 2-1 lead with a two-run double to right center in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Grant Larimore (LaGrange, Ky.) and senior Chase Sizemore (Fishers, Ind.) both scored after preceding Stover with back-to-back base hits.

Earlham though, added two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Freshman Charlie Burton (Columbus, Ind.) drove in a run with a sac fly to centerfield, scoring classmate Kevin Van Valkenburg (Georgetown, Ky.) in the bottom of the fourth, but the Blue and Red still trailed 5-3.

The Quakers tacked on five runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to secure the 12-3 victory.

GAME TWO RECAP (L, 3-0)

Hanover was held to just three hits in the night cap, with two coming from Burton and junior Spencer Coop (Lexington, Ky.) on back-to-back at-bats in the bottom of the third. The Panthers, like Earlham, were held scoreless through the first three innings of Game Two.

The Quakers did all of their offensive damage in the middle innings. Earlham tallied one run in the fourth and a two-out double in the fifth scored two more runs, giving them a 3-0 lead.

Walkenhorst picked up a single in the bottom of the sixth and moved into scoring position on a passed ball. A groundout in the next at-bat though would end the scoring opportunity.

Neither side recorded a hit in the final three innings, securing the doubleheader sweep for EC. Seniors David Herrmann (Fishers, Ind.) and Garett Zorb (Medina, Ohio), along with sophomore Eli Copner (Zionsville, Ind.) each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

UP NEXT: League play will continue with a doubleheader at Manchester. The Panthers and Spartans are slated for a 1 p.m. start, Tuesday, April 9.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@hanover.edu