LEXINGTON, Ky. – The first day of the 2023 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Softball tournament wrapped on Thursday, with Transylvania University and Mount St. Joseph University advancing unbeaten to the second day of competition.
 
2023 HCAC Softball Championship Page
 
In the first game of the day, No. 4 Manchester University survived No. 5 Hanover College, 1-0 and advanced to face No. 1 Transylvania in the third game of the day.
 
In game two, the No. 3 seed Franklin College bypassed the No. 6 seeded Defiance College 7-2, sending the Yellow Jackets to the losers bracket.
 
In the third game of the day, the No. 1 seed Transylvania faced off against No. 4 Manchester, with the Pioneers securing the win in a high-scoring contest, 11-4 to advance in the winners bracket. The Spartans will look to work out of the losers bracket tomorrow.
 
In Thursday’s final game, the No. 2 seed Mount St. Joseph University sent No. 3 seed Franklin College to the losers bracket in a close contest, 2-1.
 
Friday will feature four games, with the first contest showcasing No. 5 Hanover and No. 6 Defiance, with the first pitch slated for 10 a.m. The second game will feature No. 4 Manchester against No. 3 Franklin 12:30 p.m. In the 3 p.m. contest, the winner of the Hanover/Defiance matchup will play the winner of the Manchester/Franklin contest. In the final matchup of the day, the top two seeds will go toe-to-toe in the nightcap, with first pitch between No. 1 Transylvania and No. 2 Mount St. Joseph slated for a 5:30 p.m. start.
 
For more information on HCAC softball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the internet at www.heartlandconf.org. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.