The No. 11-ranked Ashland University baseball team has 20 wins in 2024 prior to the end of March, as the Eagles finished off a four-game sweep of Malone on Friday (March 29), 7-2 and 15-1, at Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex.
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Now leading the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, the Eagles improve to 20-3 overall and 7-1 in the league thanks to a six-game winning streak.
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In the opener, the Eagles wasted little time in jumping ahead, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run double from sophomore second baseman
Gavin Dobbels. Sophomore right fielder
Chris Franks' two-run single in the bottom of the third extended AU's advantage to 4-0.
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After the Pioneers (4-23, 1-12) scored twice in the top of the fourth, Franks' third RBI of the game – a run-scoring single – put the Eagles on top by three runs at 5-2. Two more runs on a dropped fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the fifth gave AU a 7-2 lead.
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Game 2 saw Ashland break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, scoring 10 times – the last eight coming on five Pioneer errors.
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POST-GAME NUGGETS
- In the opener, junior right-handed pitcher Cam Scott (4-0) went the first six innings, striking out four and allowing six hits and two runs.
- Of AU's 10 hits in Game 1, eight came from the 2-5 hitters – two each by junior center fielder Cam Miller, junior third baseman Jeremiah Cangelosi, Franks and Dobbels.
- In Game 2, senior righty Zac Common (2-0) threw three shutout innings of relief for the victory, whiffing five and yielding a hit and a walk.
- Sophomore left fielder/third baseman Collin Overholt drove in three runs and had a double, and Cangelosi picked up two hits and two RBIs. During the four-game set, Cangelosi went 10-for-15 (.667) with eight runs scored, three doubles and six RBIs.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will begin April with a conference doubledip on Wednesday (April 3) at 1 p.m. at Ohio Dominican (11-10, 2-3).
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