The Ashland University baseball team was not able to clinch a series win over Purdue Northwest on Saturday (April 24) afternoon, falling to the Pride, 5-3, at Donges Field.
The Eagles (14-12, 9-6 GLIAC) will still have a chance to win the series in the finale on Sunday (April 25) at 1 p.m.
Ashland got a strong start from freshman right-hander
Justin Dyksma, who gave up a pair of unearned runs in the second inning as the Pride took a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles (14-12, 9-6 GLIAC) got a run back in the third as junior
Micah Allen singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by freshman
Devin Hukill off PNW ace Chad Patrick, who came into the game with a 1.07 ERA across 42 innings.
Patrick retired the next 14 Ashland hitters until Allen's one-out single in the seventh.
Dyksma, meanwhile, surrendered a run in the fourth, but then went on his own run of 10 straight batters retired until Ray Hansen started the eighth with a single. Hunter Thorn went on to deliver a two-out, two-run double in the inning to push PNW's lead to 5-1.
In the ninth, junior
Dillan Smith singled and Allen followed by powering a two-run homer to left-center to cut the margin to 5-3. It was Allen's first home run of the season.
The Eagles were not able to do more damage off Patrick, who finished off his seventh complete game in as many starts. Patrick (5-2) gave up three runs on five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
Dyksma (0-2) finished the day with nine strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on 10 hits. Freshman right-hander
Clayton Cochran retired all four batters he faced in relief.
Allen led the offense, going 3-for-4 with the home run and two runs scored.
Thorn drove in three runs for Purdue Northwest.
The Eagles will go for the series win at 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 25) at Donges Field.
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