Ashland University's baseball team began its 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference campaign in dramatic fashion as the visiting team at home on Thursday (March 16).
A doubleheader which was supposed to be played at Findlay and moved to Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex saw the Eagles (9-5 overall, 2-0 Great Midwest) score four runs in the top of the ninth inning to win Game 1, 6-3, then post two runs in the top of the eighth to down the Oilers (6-8, 0-2) in extra innings in Game 2, 16-14.
Ashland struck first in Game 1, posting a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Fifth-year right fielder
Seth Schroeder had an RBI triple, followed by sophomore first baseman
Sam Witt's run-scoring ground out.
The Oilers scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut their deficit in half, then Findlay knotted the game with a double steal in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, the Oilers took the lead, but in the top of the ninth, with two outs remaining, sophomore shortstop
Jeremiah Cangelosi hit a grand slam which kept carrying and went over the left-field wall.
Game 2 saw more first-inning offense from the Eagles, as sophomore designated hitter
Ben Peltz laced a three-run triple to right field, then scored on
Ian Sanders' ground out. Findlay scored two runs in the bottom of the second, then again in the bottom of the third, to tie the game at 4.
Cangelosi hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth to allow AU to re-take the lead at 5-4, and freshman catcher
Collin Overholt scored on a wild pitch for a 6-4 advantage. In the top of the fifth, six more Eagle runs extended the lead to 12-4.
Findlay made it a 12-8 game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Ashland responded with a two-spot in the top of the sixth for a 14-8 advantage. The back-and-forth on the scoreboard continued, as, with two outs, the Oilers scored six unearned runs to tie the contest at 14.
Then, in the top of the eighth, sophomore third baseman
Cam Scott launched a two-run shot with two outs for the final margin of victory in the nightcap.
NOTABLES
- In Game 1, Cangelosi was 2-for-4 with the slam and four RBIs. Freshman right-hander Drew Becker (1-1) got the win after pitching the last two innings in relief of sophomore lefty Brendan Beaver, who struck out 11 and allowed three hits, two runs and a walk in seven innings.
- Game 2, which saw a combined 30 runs and 31 hits, was highlighted by Peltz's and Cangelosi's three RBIs each, and Overholt going 3-for-5. Cangelosi had more RBIs on Thursday (seven) than in his first 10 games as an Eagle (five).
- Junior righty Zac Common (2-0) pitched the final 2 1/3 frames scoreless and struck out four for the victory in Game 2.
UP NEXT
Ashland and Findlay will finish up the four-game set on Friday (March 17) at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader at Heidelberg.
