Box Score The Ashland University baseball team scored twice in the top of the 10th as the Eagles defeated Seton Hill, 4-2, on Saturday (March 7) morning in Auburndale, Fla.
The Eagles (7-1), ranked No. 6 in the NCBWA media poll, have now won six straight games.
Saturday's game was tied at 2 going into the 10th inning when the Eagles took the lead. With one out, junior Austin Eifrid was hit by a pitch and went to second when pinch-hitter Alex Whipple drew a walk. Eifrid then scored from second on a wild pitch that also sent Whipple to third. Senior Carson Mittermaier gave the Eagles an insurance run with a sac fly.
Junior right-hander Perry Bewley gave up a one-out single, but he induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Bewley came on to start the ninth in place of senior Chance Hitchcock, who turned in a quality outing. He held the Griffins (9-4) to two runs on six hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts in eight innings. Hitchcock threw 63 of his 104 pitches for strikes.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by junior Micah Allen. The Griffins tied the game in the bottom half on a bases-loaded walk by Tommy Pellis.
Pellis' leadoff homer in the sixth gave the Griffins a 2-1 lead, but the Eagles responded in the seventh by playing small ball. Juniors Hayden Kissel and Dillan Smith both reached before moving to second and third on a sac bunt by senior Garett Robberts. Senior Michael Rogers followed with an RBI groundout to tie the game.
Bewley (1-0) earned the win with his two shutout innings while Hitchcock's season ERA sits at 1.37 over his first 19 2/3 innings. Caiden Wood (0-1) suffered the defeat for Seton Hill.
Allen and Smith had two hits each to lead the AU offense.
The Eagles will now take on Minnesota State-Mankato, which played in the NCAA Tournament last season, on Sunday (March 8) at 12:30 p.m.
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