Eagle Softball Rallies In Game 2 For Split With Falcons

In a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (April 19) at Deb Miller Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex, Ashland University's softball team split with Notre Dame College, losing 7-5 before rallying for a 6-5 victory.
 
The Eagles are 16-24, and the Falcons are 25-19.
 
Game 1 saw NDC open the scoring with a three-spot in the top of the first inning, then Ashland countered in the bottom of the first with two runs on an RBI single by sophomore designated player Cassidy Shaffer and an error to score the second run.
 
The Falcons scored once in the top of the fourth for a 4-2 lead, but the Eagles countered with an unearned run in the fifth thanks to two Notre Dame errors. The Falcons, however, got the run back in the sixth for a 5-3 advantage.
 
Ashland kept rallying, and in the bottom of the sixth, a sacrifice fly from senior third baseman Hailey Struckman got the deficit back down to one. The back-and-forth continued into the seventh, with NDC plating two to go up 7-4.
 
An RBI infield single from freshman second baseman Danielle Robbins got Ashland closer at 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh, but the Eagles couldn't get the last two runs needed.
 
In Game 2, the Falcons scored first in the top of the second on a two-out error, then added two more runs in the third for a 3-0 lead. Ashland not only dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, but tied the game at 3 on an RBI fielder's choice from freshman third baseman Amanda Kolar, then a two-run single by sophomore first baseman Lily Rockwell.
 
Ashland took its first lead of the day in the fifth when sophomore catcher Rachel Reuter collected a two-out RBI single. Freshman shortstop Ashley Veldheer's suicide squeeze gave the Eagles a 5-3 advantage.
 
Notre Dame didn't go away, scoring twice in the sixth to re-knot the game at 5. Kolar, however, got the lead back for the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out run-scoring single.
 
NOTABLES

• Game 1 saw Robbins go 4-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.
• Freshman pitcher Karis Weirich (1-4) allowed five hits, four runs (three earned) and no walks and struck out two in four innings.
• The first game had a combined 12 hits, 20 runs and nine errors.
• In Game 2, sophomore left fielder Chloe McClure went 3-for-3, Kolar was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Struckman was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
• Shaffer (4-5) went the last 1 2/3 innings scoreless for the relief win.

 
UP NEXT
A scheduled home doubleheader on Friday (April 19) at 3 p.m. vs. Walsh (15-17, 9-7). The Cavaliers are seventh in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and the Eagles (8-8) are tied for eighth. Eight teams make the 2023 Great Midwest Tournament, May 3-6 in Findlay, Ohio.