In the two middle games of the four-game Great Midwest Athletic Conference series on Friday (April 15) at Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex, Ashland University's baseball team split with Walsh – losing 10-2 and winning 6-5.
The Eagles are 21-11 overall and 13-6 in the league, and the Cavaliers are 16-13, 8-8. Ashland is 12-3 over its last 15 contests.
WHAT HAPPENED
- Senior shortstop Austin Eifrid launched a home run to start the bottom of the first in Game 1, but the Cavaliers responded with a three-spot in the top of the second. Another run in the top of the third had Walsh leading at that point, 4-1.
- After the Cavaliers put up two more runs in the fifth, it was a 6-1 advantage, and another tally in the sixth made it a 7-1 score. The Eagles attempted a rally in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double from senior designated hitter Tim Zeller, but Walsh put up three more runs in the top of the seventh.
- Zeller and senior left fielder Seth Schroeder each went 2-for-3 in the opener. Senior right-hander Jacob Harsany (5-2) allowed six hits, seven runs and three walks and struck out seven in six innings.
- In Game 2, it was the Eagles who jumped in front again in the first, this time on an RBI fielder's choice off Zeller's bat. Walsh, however, knotted the game at 1-all following an unearned run in the top of the second, then took a 2-1 lead on a run in the third.
- The back-and-forth in the second game continued in the bottom of the third, with Schroeder's RBI single tying the score at 2-all, then Zeller's sacrifice fly putting AU back on top, 3-2.
- Walsh once again retook the lead in top of the fourth after scoring twice, but thanks to sophomore third baseman Devin Hukill's run-scoring single in the fourth, the game was knotted again at 4.
- Senior right fielder Dillan Smith broke the deadlock with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth, but the Cavaliers cut their deficit in half with a run in the top of the sixth.
- After that, senior closer Perry Bewley shut the door for his fourth save of 2022, allowing two hits, a run and no walks and striking out three in two innings. Sophomore lefty Adam Schomburg (3-1) picked up the win after a perfect inning of relief with two whiffs.
- Zeller and Smith each drove in two runs, and Eifrid, Schroeder, and Hukill each had two of AU's 10 hits. Eifrid is up to 39 RBIs in 32 games this season.
UP NEXT
Ashland and Walsh will conclude their series with a nine-inning game on Saturday (April 16) at 1 p.m.
AU
BB/DS
