On Thursday (May 7), the No. RV Ashland University baseball team stayed alive in the 2026 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio – winning 8-0 over Ohio Dominican following a 6-4 loss to Kentucky Wesleyan in Pool B.
 
AU (37-15) once again will face the Panthers (28-22) on Friday (May 8) – needing to beat them twice to get to the tournament championship game on Saturday (May 9). Friday's first game is at 1 p.m., with the "if necessary" game slated for 5 p.m.
 
The Eagles continued to jump on conference opponents early during the tournament, posting three runs in the bottom of the first inning against the Panthers on Thursday. After graduate shortstop Collin Overholt scored on a balk, sophomore first baseman Gage Weaver collected an RBI triple, then scored on a same play following a KWC error.
 
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Kentucky Wesleyan scored twice to cut its deficit to a single run.
 
It didn't take long, however, for Ashland to come back and score itself. Senior third baseman Ryan Shimek's RBI single in the bottom of the fifth got one of the runs back, and AU led 4-2 through five.
 
The Panthers knotted the score at 4 with two runs in the top of the seventh, then took the lead in the top of the ninth thanks to a pair of runs with two outs.
 
Overholt was 4-for-4 with a triple and a run scored, while Shimek finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen bases. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ben Zink (4-3) allowed two runs (one earned), two hits and a walk and struck out one in two innings of relief.
 
For the third time in two days, Ashland scored first – to the tune of six runs in the bottom of the first on back-to-back RBI doubles from Shimek and redshirt freshman designated hitter Drew Stevens, a steal of home by Stevens, another run-scoring double from senior left fielder Billy Howard, an RBI single by junior catcher Nate King, and a fourth RBI double, this one from sophomore second baseman Colton Hunt.
 
The Eagle offense kept coming, scoring again in the bottom of the third on another King RBI safety. Hunt's RBI ground out in the fifth provided the game's final margin.
 
That was more than enough offense for junior righty Griffin Ailes (5-3), who went a season-high eight innings and twirled a two-hitter without allowing a run. Ailes had eight strikeouts and four walks.
 
Overholt, Shimek, Stevens, Howard and King each collected two of AU's 14 hits.