The Cardiac Eagles returned to Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex on Tuesday (April 9), turning an 11-5 deficit against Mercyhurst into a 12-11 walkoff win.
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Ashland is 25-5 through 30 games, while the Lakers are 11-3.
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The Eagles had their biggest inning of the game in the bottom of the sixth, as five runs cut its deficit to 11-10. The big blow came from sophomore pinch-hitter
Ryan Shimek, who rapped a two-run double.
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Ashland knotted the game at 11 in the bottom of the eighth when Shimek, now at third base, hit a homer to center field. That set up sophomore second baseman
Gavin Dobbels, whose two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth was the difference.
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The Lakers opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning with a run, but the Eagles countered in the bottom of the frame thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior third baseman
Jeremiah Cangelosi.
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Mercyhurst kept the early back-and-forth going with two runs in the top of the second, then added a run in the third for a 4-1 advantage. Ashland got another sac fly, this one from Dobbels, to cut its deficit to 4-2, then graduate shortstop
Devin Hukill scored on a wild pitch and Cangelosi grounded out for another RBI, to make it a 4-4 game after three innings.
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The Lakers kept coming, however, and scored three times in the top of the fourth to retake the lead. Junior designated hitterÂ
Ian Sanders launched a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth for a 7-5 game, but Mercyhurst once again had the answer – one run in the top of the fifth and three runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 11-5.
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POST-GAME NUGGETS
- Shimek was 2-for-2 with a double, homer, run scored and three RBIs in the victory, and Dobbels and Cangelosi each drove in two runs.
- Graduate right-hander Cal Johnston (2-0) was the sixth and final pitcher AU used, going a perfect 1-2-3 top of the ninth.
- Ashland and Mercyhurst combined for 23 runs, 22 hits, five errors, 12 pitchers, 15 walks and 21 strikeouts on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
The Eagles, tied for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with an 11-3 league mark, are scheduled to play host to Thomas More (10-22, 3-15) in a four-game set on Friday-Sunday (April 12-14).
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