Eagles Return To Brookside Park, Lose Twice To ODU

For the first time since April 23, 2019, Ashland University's softball team played a pair of home games at Brookside Park on Wednesday (March 17), losing to Ohio Dominican by counts of 3-2 in nine innings and 7-5.
 
The Eagles are 2-6 prior to the start of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, while the Panthers are 10-5. Ashland continues to play its fair share of close contests early in 2021, as four of its eight games have been decided by one or two runs.
 
Ashland went nearly two full calendar years between home games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In the opener, the scoreless tie was broken by the Panthers in the top of the third inning via an RBI triple and an RBI groundout. Sophomore third baseman Hailey Struckman cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI fielder's choice, but the potential tying run was left on second base.
 
The result wasn't the same with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, however, as senior second baseman Emma Lawson came through with an RBI single to tie the game at 2.
 
Ohio Dominican broke the deadlock with a run-scoring single in the top of the ninth.
 
Freshman Jillian Middleton (0-3) took the tough-luck loss in the pitcher's circle, recording the best game of her young career – nine innings, seven hits, three runs, no walks and five strikeouts. Middleton also was 2-for-4 at the plate.
 
The nightcap saw the Eagles strike first in the bottom of the first on senior right fielder Alli Hylton's solo home run. In the third, Struckman rapped a two-run single, and the pair of unearned runs gave AU a 3-0 advantage.
 
ODU, however, had a quick response in the top of the fourth, scoring seven times on seven hits and with the help of two Eagle errors. The back-and-forth continued in the home half of the fourth, when Lawson's two-run single cut the deficit to 7-5, put AU could get no closer.

Sophomore Kayla Ruperto (1-2) took the losing decision for AU in Game 2, yielding seven hits and seven runs (three earned) and striking out four in 3 2/3 innings. Another sophomore, Josie Duncan, slammed the door on the Panthers, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless frames and striking out two while allowing a hit and two walks.
 
This also is the earliest on the calendar the Eagles have played their initial home games of a season since 1999, which also was on March 17 and also against Ohio Dominican.
 
Ashland will begin 2021 GLIAC play on Saturday (March 20) at 1 p.m. in a twinbill at home vs. Parkside (4-6).