The Ashland University baseball team got a couple strong starting pitching performances to pull out a doubleheader sweep on Friday (March 30) afternoon at Wayne State, 3-2 and 12-4.
Junior right-hander Devin Peters tossed a complete game in the opener, giving up just one earned run and striking out six in seven innings. The Warriors (10-12, 1-5 GLIAC) scored single runs in the first and second innings, but Peters kept the hosts off the board after that.
The Eagles (11-8, 3-3 GLIAC) tied the game at 1 in the second inning when sophomore Alex Laikos drew a bases loaded walk that scored freshman Micah Allen.
Ashland again tied the game at 2 in the third as junior Matt Littrell drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Carson Mittermaier singled to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch brought Littrell in to score before WSU starter Jared Tobey (3-1) struck out the side.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Freshman Austin Eifrid was hit by a pitch, went to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch.
Peters was excellent for the Eagles, stranding two runners in scoring position in the fourth by getting a strikeout and a ground out to start a stretch of eight straight set down. The Warriors got a single and an intentional walk in the seventh, but the Peters induced a ground out to end the game.
Wayne State out-hit Ashland, 8-4, as Mittermaier and Laikos each reached base twice.
The Eagles cruised to the win in Game 2 after taking a 7-0 lead through the top of the third. Mittermaier had an RBI single in the first and a two-run single in the second.
Junior Alex Niecikowski also had an RBI hit in the second while Eifrid drew a bases-loaded walk and sophomore Michael Rogers had a two-run single to make it 7-0 in the third.
Wayne State scored single runs in the third and fourth innings off sophomore starter Chance Hitchcock, but Eifrid and Ludwig each had RBIs in the fifth to stretch the lead to 9-2.
Junior Sam Hawley hit a sac fly in the sixth and Mittermaier and Allen each drove in runs in the seventh to provide the final 12-4 margin.
Hitchcock (4-1) gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out seven, making 122 pitches. Freshman lefty Nicky Zorne threw a shutout inning in the seventh.
Dillon McInerny took the loss for Wayne State, giving up three earned runs in two innings.
Mittermaier was 3-for-4 with a walk and four RBI while Eifrid went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, two RBI and four runs scored.
Ashland and Wayne State each had 10 hits in Game 2.
The Eagles and Warriors will finish Friday's suspended game on Saturday (March 31) at 1 p.m. at Harwell Field. AU trails, 3-0, after four innings. The final game of the series will start following the conclusion of that game.
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