John Schaly has done it.
On Friday, March 20, one of the most legendary baseball coaches in collegiate baseball surpassed yet another milestone. In the Eagles' win over the Walsh University Cavaliers on the road, Schaly won his 1,000th game as a coach at Ashland University.
This incredible accomplishment comes exactly two years to the date since Schaly recorded his 2,000th career game as a head coach and roughly 10 months after he became Division II's all-time winningest head baseball coach.
And it doesn't seem like he and the Eagles will be slowing down anytime soon.
In the Eagles' 7-2 win over the Cavaliers on Friday, they were led by numerous bats. Catcher Nate King led the way with three hits, one home run and three RBI in five at-bats, while shortstop Collin Overholt knocked one double for two RBI.Â
After a scoreless start, Ashland broke through in the third inning, stringing together multiple hits to plate three runs and take early control. Walsh answered with single runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the deficit to 3–2, but that would be as close as they would get.
Ashland responded in the fifth inning with another surge, scoring three more runs to extend its lead. The offense continued to apply pressure throughout the game, finishing with nine hits, including several extra-base knocks and a home run.
The win was given to pitcher Jackson Grine, who now sits 3-0 on the campaign. He allowed just six hits and two earned runs over the course of four innings. In relief, David Smith controlled the game with six strikes and three walks across five innings on the mound.
With the win, the Eagles moved to 12-7 overall on the season and 3-2 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play.
They'll look to keep their winning ways going on Saturday, March 21, when they will play a two-game set against the Cavaliers, set for 1:00 p.m. EST and 4:00 p.m. EST. The games will be played at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
