The Ashland University baseball team came up short in its bid to finish off a series sweep of Northwood as the 20
th-ranked Timberwolves salvaged Game 4 of the series with a 17-3 win on Sunday (April 18) afternoon at Donges Field.
The game followed a 3-hour, 5-minute rain delay after heavy rain showers moved in about 30 minutes before the scheduled 1 p.m. first pitch.
The game cruised through the first three innings as AU freshman
Justin Dyksma and Northwood starter Alan LaBov matched zeros on the scoreboard.
The Timberwolves (16-7, 7-5 GLIAC) scored two in the fourth inning and hit two solo homers in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. They then added five in the seventh to make it 9-0 before the Eagles (12-11, 7-5 GLIAC) struck for three in the bottom of the inning.
Junior
Alex Whipple had an RBI double and junior
Mike Flemming had a run-scoring single. Sophomore
Seth Schroeder followed with a bases-loaded walk, but the Eagles left the bases loaded in the inning.
Northwood finished the game with five in the eighth and three more runs in the ninth.
Dyksma (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. LaBov (1-0) earned the win with 5 2/3 shutout innings, striking out four and walking three.
Senior
Carson Mittermaier was the only AU hitter with two hits while Schroeder, Flemming and Whipple all reached base twice. Schroeder saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end.
The Eagles will continue their homestand with a four-game series at Donges Field next weekend against Purdue Northwest. Game 1 of the series is set for 3 p.m. Friday (April 23).
AU
BASE/BB
