Softball Sweeps Arrows, Remains Unbeaten At New Field

A new home field and a senior-laden lineup has brought new-found success for Ashland University's softball team.
 
On Tuesday (March 28) at Deb Miller Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex, the Eagles swept Ursuline, 3-0 and 9-1 in six innings, to move to 4-0 at their new home. Ashland is 9-17 overall and 3-3 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and 7-5 in its last 12 games after a 2-12 start to 2023.
 
The Arrows are 0-19, 0-6.
 
The Eagles jumped on top in the bottom of the first inning in Tuesday's opener with an unearned run thanks to back-to-back two-out Arrow errors. Senior center field Lauren McMillin added two more two-out runs in the second on a triple for a 3-0 AU advantage.
 
Those runs held up thanks to a complete-game two-hit shutout from senior pitcher Kayla Ruperto, who struck out three and didn't walk a batter for her second collegiate shutout.
 
Ashland also used two errors in the top of the first to plate four runs in Game 2. Sophomore designated player Cassidy Shaffer walked in the first run in the nightcap, followed by RBI singles from senior first baseman Cat Lohse and senior left fielder Kaitlyn Carney, and a sacrifice fly from sophomore shortstop Maddy Burdette.
 
In the second, senior third baseman Hailey Struckman added an RBI single for a 5-0 AU advantage. The Arrows plated their first run of the twinbill in the third to make it a 5-1 contest, then, in the fourth after a 10-pitch at-bat, junior catcher Jordyn Severns drew a bases-loaded walk to get the run back.
 
Ashland ended Game 2 early thanks to a Struckman two-run single and McMillin scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth.
 
NOTABLES

• In Game 1, senior right fielder Haylee Frost was 3-for-3 in the victory, freshman second baseman Danielle Robbins was 2-for-4, and McMillin had two RBIs.
• McMillin was 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored in Game 2, while Struckman was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, and extended her hitting streak to a dozen games.
• Senior pitcher Josie Duncan (3-5) went all five innings in the second game, allowing three hits, a run and a walk and whiffing five.

 
QUOTABLES

• "This is really what our seniors have been preparing for," said Ashland head coach Emlyn Knerem, who started six seniors in each game on Tuesday. "They have been getting the job on the field, so they have been rewarded for that. They're playing well."
• "We've become really comfortable here really quickly," Knerem said. "It allows us to be much more consistent with what we are doing."
• "Kayla was so efficient," said Knerem. "She looked really sharp today. And we played really good defense."

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will go back on the road on Friday (March 31) at 3 p.m. East/2 p.m. Central against Trevecca Nazarene (18-8, 4-0).