Indianapolis, Ind. - The Franklin College baseball team suffered a hard-fought 9-8 loss to Hanover College on Tuesday from Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis.

Hanover (12-17, 8-10 HCAC) plated the game-winning run in the ninth inning on a wild pitch.

Franklin (19-14, 10-9 HCAC) battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the fifth inning. The team tied the game behind a three-run seventh inning. Senior Scott Windler (Lafayette, Ind./Lafayette Central Catholic) drove in two runs with a triple. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Mitch Frey (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) to tie the game at 5-5.

The Panthers quickly regained the lead with three runs scored in the top of the eighth inning. Hanover got a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single all with two outs in the frame.

However, Franklin battled back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Windler drove in a run with a single to start the scoring. Frey followed with a fielder's choice to score another run and bring the Grizzlies within one run. With two outs and runners on the corners, Frey would break toward second base. Freshman Cody Shipley (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) successfully stole home to tie the game.

Then, Hanover broke the tie in the top of the ninth inning.

Junior Tyler Ison (Whiteland, Ind./Whiteland Community), Shipley and Windler each had two hits to lead Franklin's 10-hit attack.

Franklin returns to action on Friday, April 25 at 4 p.m. when it hosts Defiance College to begin a three-game Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference series. Live statistics of the game will be available here. In-game updates will also be available on Twitter (@FCAthletics) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinCollegeAthletics).