The AU baseball team upped its record to 3-1 on Sunday (Mar. 2) by taking both ends of a doubleheader from Gannon.
Ashland took the lid-lifter, 5-2 and won the second game, 1-0. The teams will see a lot of each other in the space of 48 hours. On Monday (Mar. 3) the teams will play another twinbill. All of these games are being played in Florida.
In Sunday's first game, third baseman Wade Kaido went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs. AU scored four runs in the fourth inning. The inning began when first baseman Tyler Gray singled and moved to second on a walk to Alex Sortwell. Second baseman Stephen James put down a sacrifice bunt and reached first when Gannon threw the ball into right field. Gray and Sortwell both scored on the play.
Later in the inning, Nick Edwards plated a run with a sacrifice fly and Kaido singled in a run.
AU's last run came home thanks to another Kaido single in the sixth inning.
Vince Frate pitched a complete game to get the win. Both runs he allowed were unearned. Frated gave up five hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out four. He's 2-0.
The Golden Knights scored both of their runs in the sixth inning.
AU got a splendid outing from junior Jon Thacker in the second game. The righty pitched a complete game four-hitter. He walked three and struck out six in gaining his first win of the season.
The play of the game came from the AU middle infield. In the fifth inning Gannon had the bases loaded with one out. On a shot up the middle, the Eagles turned a double play. The twin killing was started by James at second, who tossed to shortstop Austin Walts. Walts completed the play with a throw to Gray at first.
The lone run of the game was scored in the fifth inning. Edwards was nicked by a pitch and moved to second base via a stolen base. Kaido moved him to third on a single to shortstop and when the ball got away on the throw at first, Edwards came around to score.
Mackenzie Hampshire was 2-for-3. He was the only AU player to have a multiple hit game. The Eagles had seven hits.
AU
BASE/ALK