The Ashland University baseball team lost a 7-4 decision to host Charleston to close a three-game series with the Golden Eagles in West Virginia.
The Eagles (3-4) opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning, but scored just two after that.
The game was tied at 3 going into the sixth, but Charleston scored the go-ahead run in that inning, then added three in the eighth to make it 7-3.
Junior
Mike Flemming's one-out RBI single gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first and later in the inning, senior
Carson Mittermaier scored on a double steal play with junior
Tim Zeller getting thrown out at second.
The Golden Eagles cut the deficit in half with a run off AU starter
Josh Stover in the bottom of the first.
The Eagles again had a two-run lead in the third as Flemming and senior
Garett Robberts ran a double steal with runners on the corners with Robberts scoring the run to make it 3-1.
Charleston responded with a two-run single in the bottom half.
Stover then retired the Golden Eagles in order in the fourth and fifth innings, but a triple and a sac fly gave the hosts a 4-3 lead.
It was 4-3 until the eighth when Charleston scored three more before Flemming's RBI single gave the Eagles a consolation run in the ninth.
Stover took the defeat, allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out four. Jackson Mandella earned the win for the Golden Eagles, tossing five shutout innings in relief.
Mittermaier led the AU offense with three hits while Flemming had two RBI and reached base three times with two hits and a walk.
The Eagles will return to the field on Saturday (March 20) against Seton Hill for their first game at Donges Field since the 2019 NCAA Midwest Super-Regional that sent them to the World Series. First pitch Saturday is set for 2 p.m.
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