The AU baseball team used airtight pitching to end a three-game losing streak and take two games from Missouri-St. Louis on Friday (Mar. 7) in Florida.
In the opener, the Eagles (7-4) won 4-1 behind ace Jake Baldwin.
In the nightcap, Vince Frate pitched five perfect innings on the way to a 5-0 victory. Frate is 3-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 15 innings.
In the opener, Baldwin allowed a run on six hits in tossing his first complete game of the season. The righty walked one and whiffed 11. This was his first win of the season. A year ago Baldwin went 8-0.
The Eagles had six hits and no player had more than one safety. Second baseman Stephen James drilled a double.
AU scored once in third inning and twice in the fifth. The Eagles played errorless baseball.
The first hit Frate allowed came to the leadoff hitter in the sixth and it was off the glove of third baseman Wade Kaido. The right-hander allowed another hit in the seventh, but the Tritons never mounted a serious threat against him. Frate didn't walk anyone and he had seven strikeouts.
AU took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single by outfielder Mackenzie Hampshire. He was 3-for-3.
First baseman Tyler Gray and center fielder Alex Sortwell went 2-for-3 and shortstop Austin Walts was 2-for-4. The Eagles had 11 hits.
Ashland plays its final game in Florida on Saturday. The Eagles will have a difficult assignment - they will play perennial powerhouse Minnesota-Mankato.
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