The Anderson University softball team dropped its first two homes games of the season on Tuesday, falling to Trine University 13-5 and 6-5 in eight innings at Raven Field.

In the first game, Chelsie Haines led the offense with two hits and Julia Siefring added a home run and three RBI. Lys Hess added a triple and two RBI.

In the second game, Siefring had two hits and two RBI, including a double.

Megan Kruse, Johnna Rebenack and Hess each had two hits, including a double by Hess. Chelsie Haines had a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings.

AU (10-8, 2-2 HCAC) travels to Transylvania on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Kelly Packard’s whirlwind first season as Ball State’s women’s basketball coach took another remarkable turn Monday.

The former Anderson University star was named the 2009 Maggie Dixon Division I Rookie Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

For most college students, April begins to bring an overwhelming flurry of stress, excitement and emotion as graduation day creeps forward without apology. It can be a time of self-centered thinking, agony and frustration as the realities of post-graduation life come to the surface. But for Anderson University’s Senior Art + Design students, April brings their focus to one another as they prepare to open their senior exhibition “Converge: It Totally Matters What It’s Next To.”

The senior art exhibition opening will be April 4 from 2-5 p.m. at 919 E 8th St., Anderson, Ind. This event is free and open to the general public.

The Anderson University baseball team defeated Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference rival Hanover College 5-1 and 9-2 on Saturday at Hanover.

In the first game, Kyle Dillon earned the victory on the mound, tossing a complete game. The sophomore allowed five hits and one run while striking out five with two walks.

Michael Tucker led the offense with two hits and an RBI and Chris Jarrett and Cody Young each belted home runs.

In the second game, Aaron Vogel was the winning pitcher, tossing a complete game. The junior allowed five hits and two runs while striking out three and walking two.

Jeremy Hazen led the offense with four hits, two runs and two RBI, including a pair of doubles.

Jarrett had a double, two runs and three RBI and Brad Schnepp added two hits and two RBI.

David Addington chipped in with two hits and an RBI and Grant Choler two hits and two runs.

AU (11-7, 2-1 HCAC) hosts Rose-Hulman on Tuesday. The game will be carried live on the internet broadcast from Raven Park at 4 p.m.

The Anderson University softball team lost a pair of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference games on Saturday, falling to Defiance 2-0 and 9-8 at Defiance, Ohio.

In the first game, Justine Johnston tossed a no-hitter against the Ravens, allowing just four runners. AU’s Monica Crowe took the loss on the mound, allowing just three hits while striking out five and walking two.

In the second game, Allie Hoover and Julia Siefring led the Ravens with three hits and an RBI each. Johnna Rebenack added two hits, two runs and two RBI, including a double and a triple.

Erin Garrity chipped in with two hits and an RBI and Kelly Rusterholz a hit and two RBI.

Gretchen Louzon took the loss, allowing 13 hits and five earned runs while striking out eight and walking two. The Yellow Jackets got back-t0-back hits in the bottom of the seventh with two outs to score the final two runs.

AU (10-6, 2-2 HCAC) hosts Trine on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

The Anderson University men’s golf team finished fifth in the eight-team Hanover Spring Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at Shadowood Golf Course in Seymour.

Tyler Daniels led the Ravens and finished second overall, shooting rounds of 78-76 154. Lance Ramsey was third individuall, finishing with a 78-78 156.

Other AU finishers were Kevin O’Bold (83-90 173), Matt Marsalka (87-88 175) and Jordan Roberts (92-92 184).

Kate McCollum won the high jump last Saturday at the non-scoring Indiana Wesleyan Invitational in Marion. The junior jumped a distance of 5-1 in the victory.

Other top five finishers at the meet were Candace DeLong in the 400 hurdles (3rd, 1:10.35), Erica Moffitt in the 5,000 (4th, 19:31.60), Michelle Roth in the 100 hurdles (5th, 17.08) and the long jump (3rd, 16-1 3/4), Stephanie Stichter in the shot put (4th, 39-3), Julia Connor in the high jump (5th, 4-7) and the 1,600 relay (3rd, 4:28.19).

“This meet starts our outdoor season and its a start,” said AU coach Scott Wilson. “We needed a meeet after being off competition for several weeks. Like most March meets, it was cold and windy, but we competed alright.”

DeLong’s time in the 400 was the best in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference this season as was Stichter’s distance in the shot put.

Brett Sears was sixth in the hammer throw with a distance of 128-9, which is the top mark in the conference this season.

The Ravens host the AU Invitational on Saturday at 11 a.m.

AU finishers

200 - 10. Rena St. Clair, 27.91, 13. Jaslan Anderson, 28.58, 15. Michelle Rowlett, 29.56, 16. Alisha Sink, 29.81, 17. Kara Dettmer, 30.14

400 - 11. Maggie Lucas, 1:08.18, 15. Alisha Sink, 1:12.31

800 - 10. Dani Rufenacht, 2:35.70, 23. Kaitlyn Gingerich, 2:54.17

1,500 - 12. Ashley Casterline, 5:29.02, 16. Kaitlyn Gingerich, 5:51.60

5,000 - 4. Erica Moffitt, 19:31.60, 12. Mollie Ringer, 20:50.82

100 H - 5. Michelle Roth, 17.08

400 H - 3. Candace DeLong, 1:10.35

1,600 relay - 1. Anderson, 4:28.19

HJ - 1. Kate McCollum, 5-1; 5. Julia Connor, 4-7

LJ - 3. Michelle Roth, 16-1 3/4

SP - 4. Stephanie Stichter, 39-3, 12. Brett Sears, 35-0 1/2, 19. Brittany Stafford, 32-0, 22. Katie Malone, 29-10 3/4

Discus - 6. Brett Sears, 128-9, 12. Stephanie Stichter, 111-2

Leonard Wells picked up a couple of top 10 finishes to lead the Anderson University men’s track and field team in the non-scoring meet on Saturday at Indiana Wesleyan in Marion.

Wells finished third in the shot put (47-11 1/4) and sixth in the discus (140-10) and was also 17th in the hammer throw (108-10).

“This meet starts our outdoor season and its a start,” said AU coach Scott Wilson. “We needed a meet after being off competition for several weeks. Like most March meets, it was cold and windy, but we competed alright.”

Other top five finishers were Tanner Johnson in the 800 (3rd, 2:01.75) and the 1,600 relay team (5th, 3:39.07).

Marc St. Amour was sixth in the 1,500 in a time of 4:18.60, which is a personal best and the second best time in the conference this year.

Andrew Rodriguez finished eight in the 400 hurdles in a time of 1:01.84, which was a personal best and the fourth best time in the HCAC in 2009.

AU hosts the their own Invitational on Saturday at 11 a.m.

AU finishers

100 -14. Harrison Ruhl, 12.18, 17. Brian Moon, 19.74

200 - 18. Logan Wilhelm, 23.79, 21. Harrison Ruhl, 24.61, 24. B.J. Duois, 26.22

400 - 11. Logan Wilhelm, 54.94, 14. Wes Becker, 1:00.04

800 - 3. Tanner Johnson, 2:01.75, 7. Dan Malloy, 2:07.08, Marc. St. Amour, 2:07.27, 9. Matt St. Amour, 2:08.27, 10. Emby Duncan, 2:08.57.

1,500 - 6. Marc St. Amour, 4:18.60, 10. Emby Duncan, 4:24.82, 13. Matt St.  Amour, 4:30.21, 20. Drew Beaty, 4:47.89, 22. Ryan Ash, 5:03.62

5,000 - 7. Matt Helm, 16:11.75, 10. Jake Wyatt, 16:26.22

100 H - 10. Andrew Rodriguez, 17.56

400 H - 8. Andrew Rodriguez, 1:01.84

3,000 SC - 6. Matt Dougherty, 10:53.53

1,600 relay - 5. Anderson, 3:39.07

PV - 6. John Rigsby, 12-5 1/2

SP - 3. Leonard Wells, 47-11 1/4, 9. Adam Tindall, 38-7 1/2

Discus - 6. Leonard Wells, 140-10, 17. Adam Tindall, 96-11, 22. Kyle Robinson, 65-3

Hammer - 17. Leonard Wells, 108-10, 18. Antoine Brown, 104-4

Javelin - 13. Kyle Robinson, 82-4

The Anderson University baseball team lost its Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener on Friday at Hanover, falling 5-4 in 11 innings at L.S. Ayres Complex in Hanover.

The Ravens were led by Cody Young with three hits, a run and an RBI, including a double and a home run.

Brady Roundtree had two hits and two runs, including a double, and Chris Jarrett added a hit and two RBI. Brad Lantz added a double.

Greg Vogt tossed the first 8.2 innings for the Ravens, allowing 12 hits and four runs while striking out eight with three walks. Kevin Pence pitched the final two innings and took the loss, despite not allowing a hit.

The Panthers scored the winning run on a wild pitch while AU was attempting an intentional walk with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning and runners on second and third.

AU (9-7, 0-1 HCAC) plays a doubleheader at Hanover on Saturday. The games will be carried live on the internet broadcast at noon.

Handkerchiefs and ribbons in vibrant pinks, yellows and greens swept skyward by her classmates brushed Breeanna Olive’s face in a stimulating swirl of color and movement.