Box Score The Ashland University baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 4, but Minnesota State-Mankato plated the winning run in the top of the 11th to beat the Eagles, 5-4, in Auburndale, Fla.
The Eagles (7-2) saw their winning streak come to an end at six games and they fell to 2-1 on their Florida trip
Trailing 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Eagles got a pair of singles from senior Carson Mittermaier and junior Micah Allen. Two batters later, junior Logan Moss poked a single through the left side to plate Mittermaier and make it 4-3. Junior Dillan Smith followed with an RBI groundout that tied the game.
Junior left-hander Alex Bish, who came on in the seventh inning and had kept the Mavericks (6-3) scoreless, gave up a leadoff homer to Ben Livorisi to give Mankato a 5-4 lead
The Eagles were retired in order in the bottom of the 11th against winning pitcher Nick Altermatt, who struck out three in three shutout innings.
Mankato led 4-0 through the first 3 ½ innings, but Ashland got one back in each of the fourth and fifth innings with RBIs coming from Mittermaier and senior Garett Robberts.
Junior right-hander Joel Ciccarelli got the start and gave up two unearned runs in 2 1/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. Freshman left-hander Adam Schomburg also gave up two unearned runs in 3 2/3 innings in relief before turning it over to Bish.
Bish (0-1) struck out six batters in five innings and shut out the Mavericks in his first four innings of work.
Mittermaier led the offense with two of Ashland's seven hits – all singles.
The Eagles will now play Minnesota Duluth on Monday (March 9) at 2 p.m. at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla.
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