The Ashland University baseball team concluded a successful spring break trip at the Russ Matt Invitational in central Florida with a 13-2 win over Notre Dame (Ohio) on Saturday (March 10) afternoon in Winter Haven.
The Eagles (8-3) went 8-1 on the trip south and will now play host to nonconference foe Gannon next Saturday (March 17).
Sophomore Chance Hitchcock went six strong innings, giving up just one run on seven hits. Freshmen Nicky Zorne and Micah Allen worked the final three innings.
Senior Greg Ludwig gave the Eagles an early lead with a solo blast to right field in the first inning.
Ashland wound up scoring in each of the first five innings. Sophomore Michael Rogers delivered a sac fly in the second. In the third, junior Sam Hawley's two-run single keyed a three-run inning that gave AU a 5-1 lead.
Sophomore Carson Mittermaier's RBI double in the fourth inning added another run before the offense blew it open with four runs in the fifth. Mittermaier's two-run single capped the inning.
Juniors Alex Niecikowski and Matt Littrell each had RBI singles in the ninth.
Hitchcock (2-1) earned the win for the Eagles, striking out three and walking none in his outing.
Tyler Gault (1-2) took the loss for the Falcons (2-11), who managed just two runs on 12 hits.
Mittermaier led the AU lineup, going 3-for-4 with three RBI while Ludwig, Hawley and Rogers had two hits apiece. Littrell reached base four times with a hit and three walks.
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