Fighting for a spot in the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament, Ashland University's softball team went toe-to-toe with league-leading Ohio Dominican on the road on Sunday (April 16).
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The Eagles won Sunday's opener by a 2-1 count, then lost a rain-delayed Game 2, 4-1. Ashland is 15-23 overall and 8-8 in the Great Midwest, and the Panthers are 23-16, 10-2.
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In Game 1, the Eagles scored in the top of the first inning on a Panther throwing error, then ODU knotted the game at 1 in the bottom of the first. Senior third baseman
Hailey Struckman's RBI single in the top of the third put AU on top again at 2-1.
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Ashland got out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth, as ODU had runners on second and third with one out, but senior pitcher
Kayla Ruperto got two ground outs to stop the threat.
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Sunday's second game saw the Panthers move ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third, and the score stayed that way until the top of the sixth when junior catcher
Jordyn Severns' sacrifice fly tied it at 1.
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The game was stopped before the bottom of the sixth began due to rain, and once it resumed, Ohio Dominican scored three times for the split.
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NOTABLES
- Ruperto (4-6) twirled a complete-game five-hitter in Game 1, allowing a run and two walks and striking out three.
- Struckman was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and freshman second baseman Danielle Robbins was 2-for-4 and scored twice in the opener.
- In Game 2, freshman Karis Weirich (1-3) allowed seven hits, four runs (three earned) and no walks and struck out two.
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UP NEXT
Ashland returns to Deb Miller Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (April 19) at 3 p.m. against Notre Dame College (24-18).
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