LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Hanover softball team earned a split with Spalding on Wednesday evening at the SU Athletic Complex, winning game one 8-5 before dropping game two 13-6.
 
GAME ONE
Senior Lily Beurman (Evansville, Ind.) got the win in the circle pitching a complete game with four strikeouts.
 
Spalding scored first in the bottom of the first inning as a double to left field scored two runs for the Golden Eagles. However, Hanover responded in the next half inning as senior Mackenzie Smith (Jeffersonville, Ind.) charted her first RBI of the evening scoring freshman Ava Hilgenhold (Tell City, Ind.). The Panthers claimed the lead later in the inning as sophomore Kensie Bradley (Greenfield, Ind.) provided a bomb to right field scoring both senior Rachel Cox (Indianapolis, Ind.) and sophomore Nikki Bridgers (Florence, Ky.), 3-2.
 
The Golden Eagles refused to give up as they came soaring back in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs off a Panther miscue.
 
The fourth inning would see the Panthers flip the script once more as Cox stole second allowing for Bridgers to advance home. The excitement continued as sophomore Kendra Hutchison (Lafayette, Ind.) provided the big stick with a triple to left field scoring two more Panther base runners, 6-4.
 
Bridgers added an RBI in the top of the fifth inning with a double down the right field line before Smith dealt the final Hanover run of the evening with a hit to the short stop that scored Beurman en route to the 8-5 victory.
 
GAME TWO
The top of the first inning saw the Panthers surge ahead to the 1-0 lead as Hilgenhold drew an RBI walk scoring Smith. But Spalding knotted the contest in the next half inning with an RBI to second base.
 
The Golden Eagles sparked a scoring frenzy tacking on two more runs in the second inning, pushing the difference to 3-1.
 
Hilgenhold deemed clutch at the dish in the next half inning as she hit a deep fly ball to center field that would ultimately score Hutchison. The Panthers tied the contest moments later as Beurman reached on a Spalding miscue that sent sophomore Katherine Dickinson (Francisco, Ind.) to home plate, 3-3.
 
The fourth inning, however, belonged to Spalding as they plated five runs to push the lead to 8-3.
 
The Panthers got two back in the fifth inning and one in the sixth but were unable to overcome the deficit as the Golden Eagles went on to win the contest 12-6.
 
Hanover returns to action on Saturday, April 3 when they open Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action at Defiance. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM.