The start to the GLIAC baseball season did not start exactly the way that Ashland wanted it. 

After posting a 10-5 record in nonconference play, AU stumbled as conference play got underway.

The Eagles began the conference regular season with four straight losses before finally picking up their first GLIAC win on Sunday. The win ended a five game overall losing streak, the longest of the young season for the Eagles. 

Ashland now stands at 11-9 overall with 29 games remaining in its regular season schedule. 

Mar. 18 vs. Wayne State

Game 1: L 12-5

Ashland hosted a double header against Wayne State last Tuesday in Chillicothe, OH. Ashland was the home team for both games.

The Eagles dropped the first game 12-5 after Wayne State jumped out to an early lead in the third inning.

The Warriors scored six runs on six hits against AU’s Jake Baldwin in the third. That ended Baldwin’s start, as he went three innings with all six runs given up being earned runs. Baldwin also had two strikeouts. 

Ashland would battle back, scoring one run in the bottom of the third and then adding four more in the fifth to cut the Warrior lead to one. Tyler Gray drove in two runs on a single to right field, followed by RBIs by Alex Sortwell and Stephen James. 

Ashland finished with just 7 team hits to Wayne State’s 10. Gray finished 2 of 4 with two RBIs and a run scored for the Eagles.

The Warriors would pull away in the final two innings, scoring three runs in the sixth and three runs in the seventh. 

WSU’s David Frederick earned the win after allowing three earned runs in 3.2 innings. Baldwin earned the loss (1-1).

Game 2: L 8-5, F/9

Ashland’s second game at Wayne State was a much closer affair on the scoreboard, but the result was another loss for Ashland. 

AU held a 5-4 lead going into the seventh inning when Wayne State (13-4, 2-0) scored a run to tie the game. The Warriors would then break through in the extra innings, scoring three runs in the ninth of the Eagles’ Alex Smith. 

Vince Frate (4-0) started the game for Ashland looking for his fifth win of the season. He went six innings, allowing six hits and five runs, four of which were earned. The Eagles struggled defensively with four errors on the day.

AU’s Mackenzie Hampshire was 2 of 4 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored. Greg Ludwig had a pinch-hit, two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Clayton Ruch (2-0) got the win in relief for the Warriors after 3.1 scoreless innings of work. Smith took his first loss of the season for Ashland and is now 3-1.

Mar. 22-23 @ Ohio Dominican

Game 1: L 4-3

Ashland’s first game of a three-game series against Ohio Dominican went down to the final at-bat. Unfortunately for AU, Ohio Dominican was the home team, and they took advantage of that final at-bat.

The Panthers beat the Eagles 4-3 on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning off Vince Frate. Frate pitched the entire game for Ashland, but earned his first loss of the season (4-1). Frate went 6.2 innings, with two earned runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. 

Ashland had tied the game at 3 in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI single from Nick Edwards. Edwards was 2 of 3, and Wade Kaido was 2 of 4 with an RBI and a run scored for AU.

Game 2: L 6-5

Ashland lost another close game and extended their losing streak to five in the second game of the series against the Panthers. 

It was another late game surge that pulled the Panthers ahead for good. Ashland led 5-3 after the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI double by Stephen James and an RBI single from Adam Vasil. 

The bottom of the sixth inning was when things began to fall apart for Ashland starting pitcher Alex Smith. Smith had given up just three runs in five innings leading up to the sixth. 

Ohio Dominican began the inning with a leadoff double by Bryan Rudolph followed by a Jacob Horsley two-run home run to tie the game up at five with no outs recorded. Smith would then get a strike out and a ground out and was one run away from getting out of the jam with a tie score. 

The next batter would reach on a fielding error at first base by the Eagles, and that would cost them, as that base runner would end up scoring the go-ahead run on a single by Drew Ryan. 

Panthers starter Sean Blackburn got the win (3-0), giving up five runs, three earned, in six innings. Vince Bartalone earned his fifth save after shutting down the Eagles in order in the top of the seventh.

Smith earned his second loss after completing six innings and giving up 11 hits with four strikeouts. 

Game 3: W 9-2

Ashland finally earned their first victory in the GLIAC after an offensive explosion in the third game against Ohio Dominican (12-8, 2-3). 

Ashland scored nine runs on ten hits, with three players having multi-hit games.

Austin Walts had two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Mackenzie Hampshire added 2 hits and two more runs scored. Greg Ludwig had just one hit, but he had three RBIs, including a sacrifice fly and RBI single. 

Mitch Cox started the game for AU and earned the win, pitching 4.1 innings and giving up just two runs, one earned. 

Dan Whitacre threw 4.2 scoreless innings in relief.  

Ashland will travel to play Wayne State for one game on Mar. 26 and will host last year’s national runner-up Grand Valley State on Mar 29-30.