Traffic is a headache whether it's on the road or on the bases.
The AU baseball team had that problem on Sunday (Apr. 27) at Donges Field against Walsh. The Cavaliers clogged the baseball all afternoong, banging out 18 hits. They never went down in order over nine innings. The result was a 9-3 win for the Cavaliers. The victory allowed Walsh to win this weekend series, two games to one.
AU is 22-17 and 12-12 in the GLIAC. Walsh is 22-23 and 14-13. The win moves the Cavs past Ashland and into fourth place in the GLIAC standings. AU has five games left and four of those are league games. The Eagles are ranked seventh in the Midwest Region.
AU led on Sunday, 3-2 after three innings. Walsh scored once in the fourth and once in the sixth and broke open the game with a four-run seventh inning. First baseman Brook Clarke belted a two-run double in the inning and he came home on a double by shortstop Sam Fondriest. Fondriest later scored on the front end of a double steal.
Six Walsh players had two or more hits. Designated hitter Justin Clements and center fielder Jason McPeek had three hits each. Catcher Michael Lee and Fondriest had two doubles apiece.
AU didn't have much success against Walsh starter and winner Danny Roper. He worked the front seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits. Roper walked two and struck out six. At one point, he retired 12 consecutive hitters.
Kyle Ward pitched the final two innings for the Cavs. AU collected six singles and a Mike Lewandowski double against the Walsh tandem.
Vince Frate (8-4) started for the Eagles and took the loss. He worked 6.2 innings. Mitch Cox, Cole Hudson and David Devine also went to the mound for AU.
Up next for Ashland is a doubleheader at Findlay on Wednesday (Apr. 30, 2 p.m.). Only one of those games counts as a GLIAC game. Next weekend, the Eagles close out the regular season with three games at Saginaw Valley State.
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