Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HANOVER, Ind. – The Panthers opened Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference action on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping the MSJ Lions in dramatic fashion. Hanover claimed game one in 13 innings 15-4 before taking game two 9-5.
 
GAME ONE
After giving up four runs in the top of the first inning the Panthers began to rally. Sophomore Alex Christie (Greenwood, Ind.) paced the comeback in the bottom half of the inning as he doubled soring senior Andrew Littlefield (Louisville, Ky.). Hanover tacked on another run as sophomore Connor Farnsley (Jeffersonville, Ind.) provided a sacrifice fly pushing the difference to 4-2.
 
However, MSJ drove in three more runs in the top of the second inning when the Panthers delivered a breakout inning.
 
Leading the offense was senior Charlie Burton (Columbus, Ind.) with a single to left field that scored Litttledfield, 7-4. They cut the deficit to one run later in the inning as Farnsley delt the RBI plating two more Panther runners.
 
The fourth inning would see HC tack on another run as Christie hit a deep fly ball to left field that scored freshman Jake Danneman (Edgewood, Ky.), 9-7.
 
Hanover added four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as freshman Andrew Oesterling (Batesville, Ind.) drove in three with a double to left field. Sophomore Brady Pennington (Speedway, Ind.) provided the final run with an RBI that pulled HC within 14-13.
 
The game tying knock came in the ninth inning with Christie connecting on the clutch hit forcing extra innings.
 
They would plate the game winning run in the bottom of the 13 inning in climactic fashion as Danneman took home plate on a MSJ wild pitch, 15-14.
 
Junior Charlie Joyce (Indianapolis, Ind.) picked up the win for the Blue and Red pitching five complete innings with eight strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO
The Panthers carried the momentum into the night cap as sophomore Eric Roudebush (New Palestine, Ind.) charted an RBI in the bottom of the second inning to put HC on top 1-0.
 
They added an insurance run in the fourth inning with Pennington reaching home off a Danneman RBI single, 2-0.
 
MSJ knotted the contest in the next half inning before the Hanover offense responded as junior Jacob Dupps (Louisville, Ky.) scored Farnsley.
 
The game would ultimately be decided in the sixth inning with the Panthers scoring two runs including the game winner off a Burton sacrifice fly.
 
Hanover returns to action on Saturday, April 2 when they welcome HCAC foe Manchester. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1:00 PM.