The 2025 Ashland University baseball team continues to excel of late – and enjoys playing at Tomassi Stadium and Donges Field at the Archer Ballpark Complex.
In a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday (April 9), the No. RV Eagles swept Gannon, 7-3 and 4-0, to improve to 14-1 at home this season. Ashland is 25-8 overall, has won eight in a row, and has been victorious in 19 of its last 21 outings.
"We need to keep the momentum going," said Ashland head coach
John Schaly.
The Golden Knights are 12-18.
Freshman designated hitter
Gage Weaver got AU going in Game 1, as his RBI single in the bottom of the second inning put it up 1-0. The Golden Knights, however, came back with three runs in the top of the third to take the lead for the first time.
In the fourth, junior shortstop
Collin Overholt knotted the game at 3 with a two-run double, senior catcher
Ben Peltz brought the Eagles into the lead with a run-scoring hit, and junior right fielder
Billy Howard walked with the bases loaded.
Overholt launched a solo home run, his fifth of the season, and Howard added a sacrifice fly, to increase the AU lead to 7-3 in the fifth.
Game 2 saw Weaver begin the scoring for the Eagles with a two-out RBI infield single in the first, then another two-out run, this time on an RBI single from freshman center fielder
Sean Krueckeberg, put Ashland on top 2-0 in the fourth.
In the fifth, an RBI single from sophomore first baseman
Kaiden Mastri made it a 3-0 game. In the sixth, the same from Krueckeberg made it 4-0.
The star of the nightcap was sophomore righty
Griffin Ailes (1-0), who twirled a complete-game three-hit shutout. Ailes struck out three, didn't walk a batter, and threw 75 pitches in seven innings.
"It felt great," Ailes said. "My guys, they played good defense. Getting outs is always the game plan, so whatever way possible."
"Obviously,
Griffin Ailes pitched a heck of a game," Schaly said. "He's been throwing great in the JV games, and we knew he would throw strikes. That shows you how deep our pitching staff is.
"And we got 14 hits in six innings. Hopefully, this will get our offense going the way we think we can."
WITT'S SUCCESSFUL RETURN…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- In his first game since March 22 due to injury, junior first baseman Sam Witt went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the opener.
- Overholt was 3-for-4 with a double, homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.
- Graduate left-hander Marshall Leishman (4-2) earned the relief win, striking out five and giving up four hits, a run and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.
- Graduate designated hitter Max Caron was 3-for-4 with a double in Game 2, and is hitting .480 for the season.
UP NEXT
The start of a four-game Great Midwest Athletic Conference set at Tiffin at 1 p.m. on Saturday (April 12).
