BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Hanover baseball team earned a split with Bluffton on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers took game one 14-9 before falling in the night cap 14-3.
 
GAME ONE
Hanover surged ahead early in game one as freshman Connor Farnsley (Jeffersonville, Ind.) singled scoring two Panther runs in the top of the first. The excitement continued as junior Andrew Littlefield (Louisville, Ky.) hit a homerun later in the inning that pushed HC out in front 5-0.
 
The top of the third would see the Blue and Red tack on some insurance runs as sophomore Jake Brackett (Brownsburg, Ind.) hit a double scoring Farnsley. The final run on the inning came off the bat of senior Zeke Porta (Louisville, Ky.) who hit a sacrifice fly to score Brackett, 8-0.
 
The offensive explosion carried into the fourth inning as Farnsley hit a double scoring freshman Alex Christie (Greenwood, Ind.). Littlefield followed it up with a triple scoring another Panther run. The final blow came from Porta who reached on a fielder's choice putting HC out in front 11-0.
 
The Panthers added one run in the eighth inning and one run in the ninth to surge ahead 13-5. Bluffton looked to rally in the bottom of the ninth inning as they added four runs but Hanover was able to retire the side and claim the win.
 
GAME TWO
The Panthers struck first in the night cap as Fransley singled scoring Christie for the 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
 
However, the Beavers responded as they plated five runs in the bottom half of the inning before adding four runs in the third inning for the 9-1 lead.
 
The Blue and Red looked to get something going in the next half inning as sophomore Jacob Dupps (Louisville, Ky.) hit a homerun that cut the difference to 9-2.
 
The Panthers final run came off the bat of Porta who went yard in the top of the fifth inning. Bluffton was able to retire the side and secure the 14-3 split in seven innings.
 
Hanover returns to action on Sunday, May 2 when they welcome Earlham to K.T. Young Ballpark.