The Ashland University baseball team won a pair of one-run games, including a walk-off winner in Game 1 as the Eagles swept a doubleheader, 7-6 and 3-2, from Purdue Northwest on Friday (April 23) afternoon at Donges Field.
The Eagles (14-11, 9-5 GLIAC) trailed in the opener by a 4-0 tally after the top of the first and chipped away at the lead. Junior
Logan Moss delivered the walk-off RBI single to give the Eagles the win.
In Game 2, Ashland got solid pitching from junior
Joel Ciccarelli, freshman
Jake Depperschmidt and junior
Perry Bewley, then got the go-ahead RBI single from senior
Garett Robberts in the seventh inning to propel the Eagles to the win.
The Pride (8-15, 2-12 GLIAC) posted a four-run first inning in Game 1 before the Eagles cut into the deficit with back-to-back sac flies by sophomore
Seth Schroeder and Robberts in the third inning.
Brett Veltema hit a solo homer for the Pride in the fifth, but Robberts' RBI groundout plated junior
Austin Eifrid in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-3.
Purdue Northwest got it back in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead, but an RBI double by junior
Micah Allen and a sac fly by junior
Mike Flemming cut the margin to 6-5 heading into the seventh.
Junior
Alex Bish kept the Pride off the board in the top half to keep it a one-run game. The Eagles loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh and Allen delivered a bloop RBI single to right field to tie the game.
With the bases still loaded and with two outs, Moss – who had just subbed as a defensive replacement – ripped a single to center field that scored senior
Carson Mittermaier with the winning run.
Eifrid, Allen and junior
Dillan Smith had two hits apiece to lead the offense while Robberts and Allen drove in a pair of runs.
Junior right-hander
Jacob Harsany went five innings and gave up five runs with seven strikeouts and two walks, but did not factor in the decision. Bish (2-0) gave up a run on two hits in two innings to pick up the win. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
Nathan Boyer took the loss for the Pride, allowing both runs in the seventh inning.
The Eagles played from in front for most of Game 2 as Mittermaier smoked a two-run double into the left-center field gap to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead in the first.
PNW answered with a run in the second off Ciccarelli, but the right-hander settled in after that, giving up just one run on four hits in five innings of work.
It was still a 2-1 game until the seventh when the Eagles gave up an unearned run with Depperschmidt on the mound, tying the game at 2.
The Eagles came back with three straight one-out singles in the bottom of the inning as Eifrid, Schroeder and Robberts all had hits to give AU a 3-2 lead.
Depperschmidt started the eighth inning for Ashland, but after an error put a runner at first, head coach
John Schaly turned to Bewley to shut it down.
Veltema ripped a single through the hole to put runners on the corners with one out, but Bewley induced a chopper back to himself to start a 1-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.
He retired the side in order in the ninth to nail down his GLIAC-leading seventh save.
Depperschmidt (4-0) earned the win with 2 1/3 innings of relief work, striking out two and not walking a batter.
Anthony Noble (0-4) tossed a complete game for the Pride, giving up three runs in eight innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
Schroeder, Mittermaier and freshman
Devin Hukill had two hits each to lead the lineup.
The Eagles and Pride will be back in action for a single nine-inning game on Saturday (April 24) at 1 p.m. at Donges Field.
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