The Ashland University baseball team pummeled Lake Erie, 21-4, on Wednesday (April 3) afternoon at Donges Field to set a program record of 14 consecutive wins.
It also concluded an undefeated 12-game homestand as the Eagles are off to their best start in Donges Field history (13-0).
The Eagles (23-3) scored in each of their last seven innings and put up multiple runs in the last five as the offense unloaded for 21 runs and 21 hits, including four home runs.
Junior Michael Rogers, who hit a grand slam to win Tuesday's doubleheader finale against Davenport, slugged two more homers on Wednesday and drove in six runs in total. The left-hander is now tied for the GLIAC lead with seven homers.
Sophomore Logan Stoldt pounded a grand slam to put the game out of reach in the third inning and sophomore Micah Allen hit a solo homer in the seventh.
A sac fly by junior Jason Swope opened the scoring in the second inning, and sophomore Dillan Smtih drove in a run with a two-out single in the third to make it 2-0.
In the fourth, Rogers ripped a two-run single before two more hits loaded the bases for Stoldt, who socked a grand slam to left field. He now has four homers on the year. Smith and Allen followed with back-to-back doubles and Swope's second sac fly of the game gave Ashland a 10-0 lead through three four innings.
Sophomore Max Frederick got the start for the Eagles and kept Lake Erie (11-15) off the board until the fifth when the Storm scored three runs.
Ashland got two back in the bottom of the inning on Rogers' solo homer before senior Sam Hawley singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the sixth, senior Alex Niecikowski had an RBI single and Rogers drove in a run when he reached on an error. Sophomore Zach Franz capped the inning with a two-run single to give AU a 16-3 lead.
Allen and Rogers homered in the seventh to make it 19-4 and Swope's groundout and a wild pitch brought in the final two runs in the eighth.
Frederick (3-0) earned the win by tossing five innings and allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore Nicky Zorne, freshmen Nathan Fox and Bryce Stuart and senior Ryan Curtis all pitched effectively in relief for the Eagles.
Hawley, Smith, Allen, Niecikowski and Rogers all finished with three hits while Stoldt and Swope had two hits apiece. Seven of Ashland's 21 hits went for extra bases.
The Eagles will resume GLIAC play on Friday (April 5) at 3:05 p.m. when they start a four-game series at Saginaw Valley (12-9-1, 6-1-1 GLIAC).
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