Some crooked numbers should bring a crooked smile to the face of AU softball coach Sheilah Gulas.
Saturday (Apr. 13) at Malone, the Eagles put up plenty of crooked numbers. The Eagles swept the Pioneers with a pair of five-inning wins, 15-2 and 9-0. Ashland has a five-game winning streak and has won nine of its last 10 games. The Eagles are 19-13, 13-4 in the GLIAC.
Crooked numbers refer to rallies, not single digits. The Eagles have shown a lot of firepower recently. In Saturday's first game, the Eagles scored nine runs on seven hits in the first inning. In five innings AU had 15 hits.
The second game saw the Eagles hit three home runs. For the year, AU has out-homered the opposition, 25-14.
Sophomore center fielder Taylor Menhart (Twinsburg, Ohio) was 4-for-5 with nine RBI in the twinbill. She was 2-for-2 with four RBI in the first game and belted a homer and a two-run single in the nightcap. Menhart has three homers this season.
Junior second baseman Cayla Seidler (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon Washington) went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer, a double and five RBI in the first game. Junior outfielder Kourtney Yarnall (Canton, Ohio/Perry) cleared the fence in the second game. Yarnall and Seidler have four homers apiece.
The second game saw sophomore lefty Sarah Alley (Milford, Ohio) run her record to 10-5. Alley hurled her 12th complete game of the season. She doled out four hits to the Pioneers (6-18/0-12). Alley walked one and struck out seven.
The victory in the opener went to sophomore Amber McDermott (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne). McDermott pitched five scoreless innings. She allowed one hit. Malone's two runs came against sophomore McKenna Galloway (Brunswick, Ohio).
The Eagles step out of conference play on Tuesday (Apr. 16) when they host Notre Dame in a doubleheader at Brookside Park.
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