No. 14 Eagles Open Home Series Vs. Dragons With 10-0 Victory

Looking for momentum heading into the 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament, the No. 14-ranked Ashland University baseball team topped Tiffin, 10-0 in seven innings, on Thursday (May 2) afternoon at Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex.

The Eagles improve to 37-9 overall and 23-6 in the Great Midwest – and as of early evening on Thursday, had a three-game lead over second-place Northwood with three games league remaining for each.
 
"You want to get better as the season goes on," said Ashland head coach John Schaly. "You want to peak at the end of the year. You want to be strong at the end of the year."
 
The Dragons are 21-23, 16-13.
 
Ashland posted four runs in the bottom of the first inning on sacrifice flies from sophomore right fielder Chris Franks and junior first baseman Ben Peltz, an RBI double from sophomore catcher Collin Overholt, and a run-scoring single from senior designated hitter Ian Sanders.
 
Then, in the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles increased their advantage to 9-0 when junior center fielder Cam Miller and sophomore second baseman Gavin Dobbels delivered back-to-back RBI singles, then Franks launched a three-run home run to right field – his fourth of the season.
 
Dobbels then invoked the conference run rule for a nine-inning game with a solo homer to right in the bottom of the sixth, his fifth of the spring.
 
POST-GAME NUGGETS

• One run would have been enough on Thursday for junior left-handed pitcher Marshall Leishman, who improved to 9-0 after twirling a complete-game two-hit shutout. Leishman struck out four and didn't walk a batter, and he lowered his season earned-run average to 3.45.
• "I think we remember what happened last year, and our leadership's been good," said Leishman, referring to the Eagles losing their last seven games in 2023. "We've been making a point of being positive, having good energy and sticking with our guys. If we're together, it's going to be really hard to beat us."
• Said Schaly, "Marshall's complete game saves our arms in the 'pen, and sets us up for the next couple days."
• Franks drove in four runs in the victory, and Miller, Dobbels, Overholt and Sanders each had two of AU's 12 hits.
• "We feel confident with our lineup, 1 through 9," Schaly said. "Today was a good example."

UP NEXT
Games 2 and 3 of the series on Friday (May 3), starting at noon – moved up an hour from the previously-scheduled start time of 1 p.m..