The Ashland University baseball team slugged four home runs and got another strong starting pitching outing on its way to a 14-4 rout of Minnesota Duluth on Tuesday (March 6) afternoon in Auburndale, Fla.
The Eagles (4-2) remained undefeated on their spring break trip to the Russ Matt Invitational in central Florida.
Ashland opened the scoring with three runs in the first inning as sophomore Vince Vanata singled to open the game and scored on a double by junior Matt Littrell. Senior Greg Ludwig followed by pounding the first of his two home runs to make it 3-0.
The Bulldogs (3-2) scratched out a run in the first off AU junior starter Chris Slavik, but that was all the right-hander would give up in his outing.
He did not allow a hit in his final five innings of work as he struck out 10 batters and walked five.
A three-run home run by freshman Micah Allen in the third inning gave Ashland a 7-1 lead. The Eagles blew it open in the sixth – an inning keyed by Ludwig's three-run bomb.
Sophomore Michael Rogers roped a solo home run in the seventh and an RBI double by freshman Austin Eifrid gave the Eagles a 14-4 lead in the eighth. The only other runs for Minnesota Duluth came on a three-run homer by Ben Danielson in the seventh.
Slavik (1-0) earned the win in his first start of the season while freshman lefty Nicky Zorne tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
Ludwig finished 2-for-5 with two homers and five RBI and Allen drove in three runs on his homer. The Eagles out-hit the Bulldogs, 14-6.
Adam Hallberg (0-1) took the loss for UMD, giving up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The Eagles will return to the field on Wednesday (March 6) at 7:30 p.m. to take on Saint Anselm in Lakeland, Fla.
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