Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HANOVER, Ind. – The Hanover baseball team played host to Bluffton on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers split with the Beavers. Hanover claimed game one 6-4, while Bluffton took game two 8-6.
 
GAME ONE
Hanover surged ahead early in game one as freshman Alex Christie (Greenwood, Ind.) hit a double to left field in the bottom of the second inning scoring freshman Connor Farnsley (Jeffersonville, Ind.), 1-0. The Panthers tacked on another run in the inning as sophomore Cole Sherman (Indianapolis, Ind.) dealt clutch at the dish with an RBI single to shortstop giving HC the 2-0 lead.
 
However, the Beavers flipped the script plating two runs in the top of the fourth inning before taking the lead in the next inning, 4-2.
 
Hanover remained poise at the dish as sophomore Le'Ron Fleming (Indianapolis, Ind.) charted his first RBI of the afternoon scoring Christie in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the difference to 4-3.
 
The Panthers would claim the victory in the bottom of the eighth inning as Fransley hit a double that scored junior Andrew Littlefield (Louisville, Ky.) to tie the game. The excitement continued for the Blue and Red as freshman Eric Roudebush (New Palestine, Ind.) singled to right field scoring another Panther runner. The final strike of the contest would come off the bat of freshman Alston Morrell (Lakeland, Fla.) who propelled HC to the 6-4 win.
 
Senior Sam Crick (North Vernon, Ind.) got the win on the mound as he threw two complete innings with one strikeout for the Panthers.
 
GAME TWO
Bluffton claimed the one run advantage in the top of the first inning when junior Charlie Burton (Columbus, Ind.) delivered with a double to right field in the bottom half of the inning to knot the score 1-1.
 
However, the Beaver offense continued to fire on all cylinders as they tacked on two more runs in the top of the third inning. But Hanover refused to go away as Burton continued his impressive afternoon with another RBI double cutting the difference to 3-2.
 
The next inning would see the Blue and Red tie the contest at 3-3 as sophomore Jake Brackett (Brownsburg, Ind.) reached home off the bat of Morrell. Bluffton had other things in mind as they used a four run outburst in the top of the fifth inning to push the lead to 7-3.
 
Burton delivered once more with his first homerun of the afternoon, pulling HC within 7-4. He would provide another long ball in the bottom of the seventh inning that sparked a short Panther rally that saw them pull within 8-6. That would be all she wrote as the Beavers were able to secure the win.
 
Hanover returns to action on Sunday, March 28 taking on Earlham. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.