The Ashland University baseball team got a strong start from sophomore right-hander Chance Hitchcock and scored five runs in the first four innings to beat Findlay, 5-3, on Monday (March 5) afternoon in Winter Haven, Fla.
The Eagles (3-2) have won their first three games on their annual spring break Florida trip at the Russ Matt Invitational.
On Monday, Hitchcock gave up just two hits over the first five innings as the offense spotted him an early lead.
AU opened the scoring in the first as junior Matt Littrell singled, went to third on a double by senior Greg Ludwig and scored on a sac fly by sophomore Carson Mittermaier. The Eagles doubled their lead in the second as sophomore Alex Laikos doubled and scored on a single by freshman Austin Eifrid.
The Eagles broke the game open with three runs in the fourth inning, getting RBIs from Littrell and Ludwig before an error led to the Eagles' fifth run of the game.
The Oilers (3-2) got on the board in the sixth inning on a two-run homer in the sixth inning, but Hitchcock worked out of trouble in the seventh and turned it over to the bullpen with two outs and no one on in the eighth.
Freshman right-hander Perry Bewley got the final out of the eighth and retired two batters in the ninth before freshman right-hander Micah Allen got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the game for his first career save.
Hitchcock (1-1) was in command throughout, striking out 10 and walking only two in 7 2/3 innings.
Eight of Ashland's nine starters had a hit in the game as the Eagles out-hit the Oilers, 12-7.
The Eagles will look to make it four wins in a row on Tuesday (March 6) at 1:15 p.m. against Minnesota Duluth in Auburndale, Fla.
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