AKRON, Ohio – In its return to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday (April 30), Ashland University's softball team lost 7-3 to Findlay and 4-2 to Cedarville, ending the Eagles' 2025 season.
Ashland finishes the spring at 23-23 for first-year head coach
Jackie Price.
"I think the biggest takeaway is just the growth that we made," said Price, "on and off the field. We have lots of things that we have to work on, but to be able to come in and take over this program and make it to tournament and get this experience is going to be good for us moving forward.
"It's really good for the younger players to get this experience right off the bat, so they know what the expectation is from here on out. We don't want to settle with where we're at right now."
In the Eagles' tourney opener, the Oilers scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to take the early lead, but the AU counter came thanks to a two-run home run from sophomore center fielder
Delaney Maynard in the second. The homer was Maynard's third of the season.
The score remained 2-2 until the fifth, when Findlay scored once to take the lead once again. The Oilers then scored four more times in the sixth to go up 7-2.
In the seventh, the Eagles scored on an RBI single from junior shortstop
Amanda Kolar.
To start play in the consolation bracket, Cedarville scored three times in the top of the first. Kolar got AU on the board in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout.
After Cedarville scored a run in the fifth, sophomore third baseman
Sophia Martin's run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth made it a 4-2 contest, but the Eagles couldn't get any closer.
"Just a few mistakes, one too many," Price said of Wednesday. "And when you do that, it doesn't end up in your favor. Just learning and growing from that and taking that into next year is going to be good for us as a whole."
…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- In Game 1, senior designated player Cassidy Shaffer went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and took the relief loss (6-2) after allowing two hits, four runs (three earned) and three walks and striking out six in 3 1/3 innings.
- Maynard was 2-for-2 with the homer, two runs scored and an RBI.
- Shaffer went 2-for-4 vs. Cedarville, and sophomore catcher Delaney Keith finished 2-for-3.
- Junior pitcher Delaney Lis (11-8) went the distance on a six-hitter, striking out three and allowing two walks and four runs.
