NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – It wasn't a typical Sunday for Manchester University and Hanover College April 26.

The two Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foes, forced to conclude a suspended game that was hit by driving rain the day prior, battled for 24 innings at Gratz Field. When the dust settled, the two-time defending conference champion Spartans still had themselves positioned strongly in the conference postseason tournament picture and were within striking range of the top spot.

After the visiting Panthers (13-17 overall, 9-13 HCAC) used a four-run fourth to win the suspended contest 6-4, the Spartans, moving to 21-12 overall and 14-9 in the league, picked up a pair of steady pitching efforts from senior Sean Liedtky (Walkerton, Ind.) and freshman Deric Haynes (Goshen, Ind.) to gain 8-2 and 4-3 victories in front of a happy home crowd.

Liedtky, improving to 7-1, was on point from the get-go. He struck out six opposing batters, was nicked for just one earned run and surrendered seven hits without issuing a walk. He received plenty of offensive support, as junior catcher Elliott Ford (Rome City, Ind.) delivered a two-run single to highlight a four-run fourth, while junior outfielder Sean Knepper (Bremen, Ind.) clouted a two-run double during a three-run eighth that gave MU a larger cushion. Ford's three-for-three, two-runs scored, two-RBI line led the way.

Haynes came back in the final edition with a sparkling beginning. He went four scoreless with just one hit surrendered, as his teammates built a 3-0 lead due to an RBI single from freshman designated hitter Tanner Hampton (Rochester, Ind.), a tally crossing on a passed ball, and an RBI sacrifice fly from sophomore first baseman Tailur Szarenski (Bluffton, Ind.). HC chipped away and managed to tie the game at 3-3 after posting single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh, but the Black and Gold, on a day when they honored head coach Rick Espeset for his recent entrance into the NCAA Division III 500-win club, added to their coach's win total with number 505 by scoring the game-winning run on a bunt that was thrown wide of first base, allowing senior second baseman Logan Hug (Indianapolis, Ind.) to score from second in the bottom of the ninth.

The Spartans, sitting in third place on the conference standings going into the final week of the regular season, return to action Tuesday, April 28. They conclude their season series with Defiance College at DC's Craig A. Rutter Field. First pitch is 4:15 p.m.

NOTES: Senior third baseman Jordan Nieman (Michigan City, Ind.) saw his on-base skein move to 34 straight games during the afternoon despite his hit streak being stopped at 32 in the second contest … MU has won seven of its last eight with the weekend series victory included. They're hitting .341 in the span with a sparkling 3.88 team earned run average.