RICHMOND, Ind. — Matt Brankle slammed the door shut in the first game against Transylvania University on Saturday and then kept it closed in the second.

Brankle earned a save for the Earlham College baseball team in a 3-2 win in the opener in Randal R. Sadler Stadium, while starting and picking up the victory in a 3-1 contest in game two.

"(Earlham Head Coach Steve Sakosits) asked me after the first game how I was feeling and if I wanted to start," Brankle said. "I just said sure."

On the day, Brankle also had 12 strikeouts to tie Adam Painter (2008-11) at the top of the all-time career list with 207.  

"I knew before the game what I needed, but I didn't think I had that many," Brankle said.

Overall, the Quakers are now 14-4 with a 4-3 mark in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. They are currently in fifth place with several teams in action on Sunday, which could shuffle the standings.

Game One

Brennan Laird gave the Quakers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a run-scoring single.

The Pioneers (5-13, 2-6) tied it in the third with an unearned run against Howie Smith.

In the fifth, the Quakers picked up a couple of runs to go on top 3-1. Thomas Rea knocked in the first run with a single. Nate Lynch was responsible for the other run. After stealing third, Lynch scored when the throw from the Transylvania catcher bounced into left field.

Transylvania added a run in the sixth to finish the scoring.

Laird led the Quakers with two hits.

Smith (2-0) started on the mound for the Quakers and worked six innings to get the win as he gave up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts.

Garrett York held the Pioneers hitless over the next two frames before Brankle earned his fourth save of the season and seventh of his career. He gave a hit with two strikeouts in the ninth.

Game Two

Transylvania grabbed a 1-0 advantage with a run in the second inning off Brankle. The Quakers answered in the bottom of the inning when Eric Elkus knocked in Devin Spurgon with a double to tie it at 1-1.

Back-to-back RBI hits by Laird and Brandon Smalling in the fourth inning put the Quakers in front to stay at 3-1.

Brankle tossed seven innings and surrendered one run on four hits with 10 strikeouts.

Drew Lively worked a scoreless eighth, while York got his first collegiate save when he blanked the Pioneers in the ninth.

Earlham faces Mount St. Joseph University on Tuesday. The HCAC affair on the campus of Xavier University is at 4 p.m.