The Ashland University softball team divided a pair of games on Sunday (Feb. 24) in Louisville, Ky. In the first game of the day, the Eagles lost in 10 innings to Lincoln Memorial, 5-4. Moments after that game concluded, the Eagles pounded out a 13-6 victory over Bellarmine.
Ashland finishes the weekend with a 2-2 record. This was the opening weekend of play for the Eagles.
Against LMU, center fielder Taylor Menhart (Twinsburg, Ohio) went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Junior outfielder Carly West (Ashland, Ohio/Hillsdale) was 2-for-5. The Eagles had 10 hits.
The Railsplitters (11-8) led 3-1 after two innings. Ashland scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game. LMU went ahead, 4-3 with a run in the sixth and the Eagles tied the contest, 4-4 with a run in the seventh.
LMU third baseman Danae Reed ended the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Reed was 2-for-3. The winning hit came off of sophomore Sarah Alley (Milford, Ohio). She pitched the final 4.1 innings and took the loss. Alley allowed a run on four hits. She struck out seven.
Sophomore McKenna Galloway (Brunswick, Ohio) started and pitched five innings. Freshman Zoe Myers (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) pitched a third of an inning.
Against Bellarmine, the Eagles banged out 15 hits. That total included a homer and four doubles. AU led, 5-3 after one inning, 8-3 after two frames and 12-3 entering the bottom of the fifth.
Sophomore third baseman Jerrica Young (Loudonville, Ohio) was 2-for-5 with a double and her first homer of the year. She drove in four runs. Menhart was 2-for-5 and freshman catcher Jen Moore (Jeromesville, Ohio/Hillsdale) was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Senior first baseman Franki Gironda (Akron, Ohio/Hoban) was 2-for-3.
Alley pitched the first four innings and received credit for the win. She's 2-1. Alley allowed three runs on five hits. Sophomore Amber McDermott (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) pitched the final three innings. She was touched for three runs, two earned. She did not walk a batter and struck out three.
AU
SB/ALK