Softball Rallies For Game 1 Win, Earns Home Split Vs. Chargers

A late comeback in the opener on Saturday (April 13) against Hillsdale at Deb Miller Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex allowed Ashland University's softball team to split with the Chargers, as the Eagles won 8-7 in 10 innings and lost 5-2.
 
Ashland moves to 16-19 overall and 9-7 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after the Senior Day split, and Hillsdale is 26-12, 12-4.
 
"To go down five in the first inning, and then work ourselves back and chip away throughout the game, that's a huge win for us," said Ashland head coach Emlyn Knerem. "It's a confidence-booster."
 
Hillsdale took the early lead in Game 1 with a five-spot in the top of the first inning, then Ashland dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when junior designated player Cassidy Shaffer delivered an RBI single.
 
The Chargers tacked on another run in the top of the fourth for a 6-1 lead, then another in the fifth to make the score 7-1.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, however, junior shortstop Maddy Burdette's rapped RBI double to left field, freshman third baseman Sophia Martin's run-scoring triple down the left-field line, sophomore second baseman Danielle Robbins' RBI single, and freshman left fielder Delaney Maynard's two-run double made it a 7-6 contest.

Sophomore center fielder Ashley Veldheer's highlight reel catch to end the top of the seventh set up Ashland to continue the comeback. In the bottom of the seventh, junior right fielder Laney Eller came in to score the tying run on Hillsdale's fifth error of the game.

The score remained at 7-7 until the bottom of the 10^th, when Robbins' ground ball to first scored Martin with the game-winner.
 
"Those kids especially, they are so competitive," Knerem said. "They have such competitive hearts. Ashley is just quite literally going to run through a wall to catch any ball she can. Danielle, same thing. Is always going to find a way to put the ball in play, and Sophia is just a menace on the bases.
 
"There is a little bit of magic here."
 
In Game 2, the Chargers once again scored first with a run in the top of the first. Ashland, however, came back with a run in the bottom of the first after a Hillsdale error.
 
Hillsdale took the lead again with a solo homer in the top of the third, but a wild pitch in the bottom of the third knotted the game again at 2. The Chargers continued the Game 2 back-and-forth with a run in the fourth, then scored again in the fifth and the seventh for the 5-2 win.
 
POST-GAME NUGGETS

• Robbins ran her hitting streak to 11 games on Saturday, as she went 2-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs in Game 1, then 2-for-4 with a run scored in Game 2.
• Junior pitcher Bryn Grabowski (6-4) pitched five shutout innings out of the bullpen for the win in the opener, allowing two hits and striking out one.
• In Game 2, senior catcher Jordyn Severns was 2-for-4. Shaffer (3-6) took the relief loss, yielding five hits and three runs (two earned) over four frames.
• Maynard had a double in each game on Saturday, giving her 10 hits in the last five games – seven of which are doubles.

UP NEXT
Ashland will stay at home to take on Northwood (24-15, 11-7) on Girls In Sports Day on Sunday (April 14) at noon.