AU Baseball Sweeps Saints In Middle Games Of Home Series

The Ashland University baseball team has won eight of its last nine games following a Saturday (March 22) sweep of Thomas More, 4-0 and 5-3, at Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex.
 
"We got good pitching today, played good defense. You have pitching and defense, and you're always in the game," said Ashland head coach John Schaly. "We've got to be able to win in different ways, and we played a lot of different people today."
 
The Eagles improve to 14-7 overall and 6-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while the Saints move to 6-14, 1-6.
 
Game 1 saw the Eagles break through first, as a two-out RBI single from graduate left fielder Max Caron in the bottom of the third inning put AU up 1-0. Then, in the fifth, Caron delivered another clutch two-out hit, a two-run triple.
 
Freshman center fielder Sean Krueckeberg drew a based-loaded walk in the sixth for a 4-0 advantage.
 
The highlight of Game 1 was the pitching of senior right-hander Hunter Allen (3-0), who twirled a complete-game three-hit shutout, struck out 13 and walked three. His strikeout total is the most for an Eagle in a game since Josh Stover's 17 vs. St. Cloud State on March 6, 2020.
 
"It was a fun game, going out and attacking hitters one by one," said Allen, who has turned a 2024 season of a 1-1 record and a 6.30 earned-run average into a 2025 campaign, so far, of 3-0, 1.64, and 32 strikeouts in 22 innings. "First-pitch strikes are a big thing for me. When I'm getting ahead of hitters, it puts me in the best situation.
 
"Last year didn't go my way. Coming back this year, I had a little chip on my shoulder. Wanted to prove my worth to the team."
 
"He kept his pitch count down pretty good today, because he was throwing strikes," Schaly said.
 
Ashland opened the scoring in the nightcap thanks to a sacrifice fly from freshman first baseman Carter Weaver in the bottom of the first. Thomas More came back with two runs of its own in the third to take a 2-1 lead.
 
As he did in the first game, Caron delivered with two outs once again – this time, a two-run double in the bottom of the third to put AU back on top, 3-2.
 
The Saints came back once again to tie the game in the fourth at 3-3, but Caron – up again with two outs in the fifth – came through with two more RBIs with a single.
 
CARON COMES UP CLUTCH…AND THE REST OF THE STORY

• Caron was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs in Game 1, and Weaver ended 2-for-3 with a triple and run scored.
• When Caron went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in Game 2, he finished the day with seven RBIs – all with two outs.
• Said Caron, "It feels great. I was just trying to get my pitch, and I got it. I was trying to stay with my approach and trying to drive the ball hard the other way."
• "He's just a great clutch hitter," Schaly said. "Great job hitting."
• Graduate lefty Marshall Leishman (2-2) went the first six innings of the nightcap, striking out nine and yielding six hits, three runs and a walk. Senior righty Chase Carter struck out the game's last batter for his fourth save of the season.

UP NEXT
Sunday's (March 23) series finale, moved up to noon from the original start time of 1 p.m..