In a rescheduled non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday (April 11) at Deb Miller Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex, freshman pitcher
Karis Weirich's complete-game one-hit shutout in Game 2 lifted Ashland University's softball team to a split against Ferris State.
The Eagles took the second game by a 1-0 count after losing Game 1, 8-3. Ashland is 14-22, and the Bulldogs are 15-26.
An RBI groundout by sophomore pitcher
Cassidy Shaffer got Ashland on the board in the bottom of the first inning of the opening game. Ferris State, however, scored thrice in the third to go up 3-1.
The Bulldogs remained ahead 3-1 through six innings, then put up a five-spot in the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles took advantage of a pair of FSU errors, scoring twice on back-to-back RBIs from senior third baseman
Hailey Struckman (single) and Shaffer (sacrifice fly).
In Game 2, Ashland once again went ahead first, this time in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI single from freshman shortstop
Ashley Veldheer. Weirich (1-2) didn't allow a hit for the first five innings, and finished with her first collegiate victory, striking out two and walking one.
NOTABLES
- Freshman second baseman Danielle Robbins and senior first baseman Cat Lohse each had two hits in Tuesday's opener – Lohse 2-for-2, and Robbins 2-for-4. Robbins also scored twice, and Shaffer drove in two runs.
- Shaffer (3-5) went the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing 11 hits, three runs and no walks and striking out one.
- Robbins was 2-for-3 and scored Game 2's lone run, making her 4-for-7 with three runs scored in the twinbill.
QUOTABLES
- "I thought Karis came in, she hadn't thrown in a while…and it was good to see her out on the mound, and come out with a really strong performance," said Ashland head coach Emlyn Knerem of Weirich, who hadn't pitched in a game since April 2, and more than 1 1/3 innings in a game since March 9. "She looked really good, she looked in control, she looked focused."
- "We played some really solid defense," Knerem said of Game 2. "We just haven't come up with that big hit, so for Ashley to poke that ball through and get that game-winning hit early on, then we held them…we're just going to keep working."
UP NEXT
Ashland (7-7 Great Midwest Athletic Conference) will return to league play on Sunday (April 16) at noon at Ohio Dominican (20-13, 8-0)
