The Ashland University baseball team scored four runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead and finished off No. 20 Northwood, 5-3, to open a four-game series on Friday (April 16) afternoon at Donges Field.
The Eagles (10-10, 5-4 GLIAC) got strong pitching performances all around and banged out six of their nine hits in the four-run fifth. The win pushed them to within one game of Northwood (15-5, 6-3 GLIAC) in the conference standings.
Junior right-hander
Joel Ciccarelli gave up a homer to Jacob Rybicki to lead off the game, then stranded two runners in a rocky first inning before settling in and retiring the next 11 batters he faced. He did not allow another hit until Cole Brooks singled with one out in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the AU offense was held in check by Northwood starter Derek Clark, who did not allow a hit until the fifth.
That's when the Eagles came to life as junior
Logan Stoldt started the inning with a double to the gap in left-center. After a groundout, junior
Dillan Smith and freshman
Devin Hukill ripped back-to-back triples to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
After Hukill was retired at the plate on a fielder's choice, junior
Alex Whipple and seniors
Garett Robberts and
Carson Mittermaier delivered three straight singles to make it 4-1.
Matt Magno cut into the margin with an RBI single in the sixth, but Ciccarelli held the Timberwolves to just one run in the inning.
Reliever
Jake Depperschmidt gave up a leadoff homer to Brooks to start the eighth, but then got the next two hitters before junior
Perry Bewley came on to strike out Carson Longstreth to end the inning.
Smith delivered a crucial insurance run with a two-out RBI single that plated Stoldt in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Bewley then struck out the side in the ninth to secure his sixth save of the season.
Ciccarelli (2-0) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings to earn the win. He walked two and struck out two. Bewley struck out all four hitters he faced.
Clark (4-1) was beaten for the first time this season, allowing four runs on eight hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Stoldt and Smith had two hits apiece to lead the Ashland offense with Smith driving in two runs. Whipple reached base three times in the game.
The Eagles and Timberwolves will start a doubleheader on Saturday (April 17) at 1 p.m. at Donges Field.
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