Baseball Splits At Home With Dragons For Second Day In A Row

On Wednesday (March 30) at Ralph Tomassi Stadium at Donges Field, Ashland University's baseball team split a Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader with Tiffin for the second day in a row.
 
The Eagles (11-9 overall, 4-4 Great Midwest) took Game 1, 13-7, thanks to an 11-run bottom of the fifth inning, while the Dragons (14-13, 9-3) won the nightcap, 16-6, on the strength of four innings with crooked numbers of runs.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• In Game 1, the Dragons got out in front in the top of the first on an RBI fielder's choice, but the Eagles responded in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI double from freshman left fielder Cam Miller.
• Tiffin countered in the top of the third, scoring two runs to take a 3-1 lead, then Ashland scored in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half at 3-2.
• Thanks to a three-run home run and an RBI single in the top of the fifth, the Dragons extended their advantage to 7-2. Ashland's answer was an 11-spot in the bottom of the frame, including a grand slam by senior center fielder Sebastian Fabik, a two-run shot by sophomore third baseman Devin Hukill, and a three-run round-tripper from senior right fielder Dillan Smith.
• In AU's 14-hit attack, Hukill was 3-for-3 with a double, homer and two RBIs, Fabik was 2-for-3 with the slam and three runs scored, Smith was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, senior designated hitter Tim Zeller was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and senior shortstop Austin Eifrid was 2-for-5.
• Senior right-hander Joel Ciccarelli (2-0) pitched an inning and got the win in relief.
• The nightcap saw Tiffin jump in front again, scoring four times, then the Dragons added another run in the top of the second for a 5-0 advantage, then two more in the top of the fifth for a 7-0 lead.
• Ashland's comeback began in the bottom of the fifth with four runs. RBIs in that inning came from Eifrid (single), senior catcher Seth Schroeder (ground out) and freshman second baseman Ian Sanders (two-run single).
• Tiffin put the lead up to four runs with a solo homer in the top of the sixth, then three more runs in the top of the seventh for an 11-4 advantage. Ashland scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it an 11-6 score, but left the bases loaded.
• The Dragons added five runs in the top of the eighth, and the nine-inning game was called after eight due to darkness.
• Eifrid, senior first baseman Logan Moss, Fabik and Hukill each had two of Ashland's 10 hits, and Sanders drove in two runs.
• Sophomore righty Brad Wolfe (1-2) allowed two hits, four runs and four walks in two-thirds of an inning.

 
UP NEXT
The start of the 100 years of Ashland baseball celebration, a doubleheader at home vs. Lake Erie (3-15, 1-7) on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.