Ashland University's baseball team lost both ends of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division doubleheader on Sunday (April 26) in Canton, Ohio, falling to Malone by 6-1 and 5-2 counts.
The Eagles, ranked No. 21 in Division II, are 28-14 overall, 17-9 in the GLIAC and 13-5 in the South Division - and clinched the division title on Saturday (April 25). Since authoring a 10-game winning streak from March 29-April 11, AU is 5-7 in its last 12 games. Ashland lost three of four in the series at Malone.
The Pioneers are 26-18/17-11/12-8.
In the opener, the Eagles and Pioneers were knotted at 1 after 5½ innings before Malone scored five times in the bottom of the sixth. Ashland had five hits in Game 1, and junior center fielder Nick Edwards drove in the team's lone run on an RBI ground out in the top of the fifth.
Junior pitcher Art Warren allowed four hits and struck out five, but allowed six runs and seven walks in five innings to fall to 4-3.
In Game 2, Ashland took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the second, but Malone scored single runs in the bottom of the fourth and seventh for a 2-2 tie. The Pioneers then scored three times in the bottom of the eighth for the doubleheader sweep.
Senior pitcher Vince Frate limited Malone to four hits, a run and five walks while striking out two in six innings. Sophomore Mitch Cox (3-2) allowed six hits, four runs (two earned) and a walk while striking out one in the final two frames.
Senior second baseman Stephen James had two of AU's five hits and drove in one run in the nightcap. Edwards had another RBI on a fielder's choice.
The Eagles will play six games in the final week of GLIAC regular-season action – a makeup doubleheader at Lake Erie on Tuesday (April 28) and a four-game set at Donges Field against Wayne State on Saturday (May 2) and Sunday (May 3).
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