The Ashland University baseball team lost the final game of the regular season, 7-4, at Purdue Northwest on Sunday (May 5) afternoon as the Pride evaded a four-game sweep at the hands of the Eagles.
Ashland (37-10, 17-7 GLIAC) will now head into next week's GLIAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Eagles also entered the week ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region rankings.
On Sunday, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead with the help of an error in the second inning, but Anthony Agne hit a two-run homer for Purdue Northwest (21-25, 16-12 GLIAC) in the third and the Pride tacked on four runs in the fifth to take a 6-1 lead. Austin Kordik's two-run triple in that inning provided the major blow.
Freshman Seth Schroeder got a run back for the Eagles with an RBI single in the sixth, and his sac fly in the eighth cut the deficit to 6-3. The Pride added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Eagles threatened to get back in the game in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out for junior Michael Rogers, who brought in a run on a groundout. Brendan Kelly finished the game by inducing a groundout to earn his first save of the season.
Sophomore right-hander Max Frederick got the start for the Eagles, suffering his first loss (3-1) of the season. He allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts in four innings. Sophomore lefty Nicky Zorne, senior right-hander Sam Rice and sophomore righty Perry Bewley each had scoreless relief outings.
Alex Batistatos (3-4) earned the win for the Pride, giving up three runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking three.
Senior Matt Littrell had two of Ashland's six hits, including a double, while Schroeder drove in a pair of runs.
The Eagles will play No. 6 seed Saginaw Valley on Thursday (May 9) at 2:30 p.m. in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
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