ASHLAND, Ohio – Behind a complete game from AU senior Ajay Meyer (Halmer, Ohio/Owens CC) the AU baseball team earned an early season 6-3 win over regional foe Bellarmine on Sunday (March 20) in Louisville, Ky.
The Eagles (9-3) also got solid production from the bottom third of the batting order as senior Ryan Avery (Berea, Ohio/Cuyahoga CC), freshman Adam Murphy (West Carrollton, Ohio) and sophomore Matt Gundlach (Monroeville, Ohio/Sandusky Perkins) combined to go 6-for-11 at the plate.
Meyer surrendered two runs in the first inning on a two-run double by David Weinstein. After that, the Ashland ace settled down, allowing just three hits over the final eight innings. Meyer finished with three earned runs allowed on six hits with just one walk and 10 strikeouts. At one point in the game, Meyer retired 14 Knights in a row.
The senior has thrown three complete games in as many starts this season and has 29 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched. This was his second straight outing with a double-digit strikeout total.
The Eagles gave Meyer all the offense he would need in the second inning. Avery knocked a one-out triple to center field and scored on Murphy's single to center. A single and a walk loaded the bases for junior Ethan Houck (Fort Wayne, Ind./Glen Oaks CC), who beat out an infield single to move everyone up a base and tie the game at 2-2.
Senior Evan Melendez (Amherst, Ohio/Steele) gave the Eagles the lead with a sacrifice fly. A hit-by-pitch reloaded the bases and senior Matt McAllester (Westlake, Ohio) scored on a passed ball to make it 4-2.
Junior Mitch Klein (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) drove in a run on an RBI double in the fifth and Murphy pounded out his second RBI hit of the night in the eighth to push the Ashland lead to 6-2.
The Knights (6-8) tacked on a late run on a run-scoring groundout in the ninth, but never threatened the AU lead with Meyer on the mound.
Avery, Murphy and Gundlach had two hits apiece for Ashland. Murphy had two RBIs. McAllester also reached base three times on walks, scoring a run.
Sophomore Cory Thomas took the loss for Bellarmine, working 4.1 innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. The Knights scattered their six hits throughout the lineup with no player finishing with more than one.
The Eagles and Knights will be back in action on Monday (March 21) afternoon for a 1 p.m. first pitch to wrap up their brief two-game series.
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