ASHLAND, Ohio – The Ashland University baseball team bounced back from a couple tough losses on Thursday to earn a series split with Lake Erie on Friday (April 3) with 5-3 and 4-0 wins over the Storm.
After Lake Erie took a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 1, Ashland's redshirt-freshman
Drew Stevens delivered a go-ahead two-run double into the left-center field gap.
In the sixth, graduate student
Collin Overholt drew a bases-loaded walk to add an insurance run before sophomore
Josh Stalnaker blanked the Storm in the seventh to secure the win.
Ashland (20-11, 10-6 GMAC) took an early 2-0 lead in the first as senior
Ryan Shimek ripped an RBI triple and Stevens grounded a run-scoring single up the middle. The Eagles left two runners in scoring position, however, and Brendon Rowe's two-run homer in the third tied the game for Lake Erie.
Micah Geise gave Lake Erie (7-24, 6-10 GMAC) a 3-2 lead with a home run in the fifth before Ashland's rally in the bottom half.
Redshirt-sophomore
Drew Becker got the start for the Eagles and looked impressive outside of the two home runs surrendered. He struck out nine and walked just one in his five innings of work to stay undefeated (4-0) on the season.
Stalnaker nailed down his first save of the season, racking up five punchouts in two shutout innings.
Stevens drove in three runs and senior
Billy Howard went 2-for-3 with a double to lead the offense.
In Game 2, redshirt-sophomore
Sean Krueckeberg hit a two-out, two-run homer just inside the right field line to give the Eagles the lead in the first inning.
Ashland scored two more in the third inning by executing a double steal with runners on the corners and later adding another run on a wild pitch.
Rain and lightning came in the middle of the fifth inning and play could not be resumed, so the Eagles staked their 4-0 win after five innings.
Redshirt-junior right-hander
Griffin Ailes (3-2) earned the win by striking out six and giving up just two hits across five shutout innings.
Overholt drew a pair of walks and scored a couple runs to add to Ashland's offensive output.
The Eagles return to the field for a nonconference matchup with Ohio Dominican on Tuesday (April 7) at 3 p.m. in Columbus.
AU
