Eagles Open 2021 With Win Against Cardinals In Dome

Playing for the first time in more than 11 months, Ashland University's softball team opened play at the Lewis Dome Invitational with a 5-2 win over William Jewell.
 
In the season-opener against the Cardinals, the Eagles trailed 2-0 through five innings, but a five-spot in the top of the sixth provided the final margin of victory. The go-ahead runs came home thanks to senior right fielder Alli Hylton's two-run triple.
 
Those runs were more than enough for sophomore pitcher Kayla Ruperto, who went the distance and yielded just five hits, no earned runs and no walks and struck out six. Of AU's eight hits, two each were collected by sophomore first baseman Cat Lohse and freshman designated player Hailey Krinn.
 
Ashland also played Hillsdale on Saturday night in the Invitational.
 
The Eagles will play two more games at the Lewis Dome Invitational on Sunday (Feb. 21), against Illinois Springfield (1 p.m. East/noon local) and Lewis (3 p.m. East/2 p.m. local).