Box Score The Ashland University baseball team won the 1,700th game in program history as the Eagles raced to a 10-4 win over Tiffin in their home opener on Wednesday (March 13) afternoon at Donges Field.
It is believed to be the earliest home game in Ashland University's baseball history.
The Eagles (10-3) jumped out to a 5-0 lead through three innings and never looked back as they out-hit the Dragons (2-13), 13-7.
Sophomore right-hander Josh Stover continued his excellent start to the season by tossing six shutout innings, scattering just three hits and striking out seven with no walks.
The Eagles got on the board in the second inning on an RBI double by junior Michael Rogers. After sophomore Austin Eifrid walked, senior Sam Hawley delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 2-0.
In the third, junior Garret Robberts had an RBI double fall into shallow center field, another run scored on an error, and Eifrid made it 5-0 with an RBI single.
Meanwhile, Stover cruised. He gave up a single in the fourth, but the next hitter lined to center field and Rogers doubled off the runner, who strayed too far from the bag.
Stover (4-0, 2.18 ERA) retired the side in order in the fifth and stranded a pair of runners in the sixth who reached on an error and a hit batsman.
The Dragons tacked on a run in the seventh and three in the eighth off the AU bullpen, but junior left-hander Josh Smith escaped the eighth by getting a lineout and a strikeout.
The Eagles took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but broke it open with five runs on five hits in the inning.
Senior right-hander Devin Peters retired the Dragons in order with two strikeouts to end the game.
The AU pitching staff did not give up any walks in the game and struck out 11. The Eagles have a 3.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season and have struck out 10.2 batters per nine innings.
Hawley led the Eagles offensively, going 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Senior Matt Littrell was 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and two RBI. Eifrid and sophomore Dillan Smith also had two hits apiece.
John Heckman had two hits and hit a two-run homer in the eighth to lead Tiffin. Jake Monnin (0-4) took the loss for the Dragons, giving up two runs – both unearned – in 1 2/3 innings.
The Eagles will now head to Gannon on Friday (March 15) at 1 p.m. for a single game. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday (March 16) at 1 p.m. at Donges Field.
AU
BASE/BB
