Ashland University's softball team began the 2016 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at 1-1 on Friday (April 29), earning a 6-5 win over Ferris State and losing 7-4 to top-seeded Wayne State.
The Eagles (26-22-1) will begin consolation bracket play on Saturday (April 30) at 8 a.m. against No. 2-seeded Grand Valley State (37-9).
The win against the Bulldogs was the comeback variety, as Ashland scored four times in the top of the fifth inning thanks in large part to five FSU errors. Senior first baseman Jen Moore hit a two-run double and scored on the same play on a Ferris miscue, then sophomore third baseman Marissa Caraballo reached on an error and picked up an RBI.
Freshman pitcher Hannah Stroe took it from there, earning her sixth victory of the season with 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief. She allowed two hits and two walks and struck out four.
Junior shortstop Alexis Van Horn was 2-for-3 in the victory.
In the loss to the Warriors, Wayne State scored six runs in the bottom of the first and didn't look back. The Eagles had a pair of two-run innings in the third and sixth on a Moore homer and a Van Horn round-tripper.
Stroe took the loss against Wayne State, yielding five hits, seven runs (six earned) and a walk and striking out one. Junior center fielder Ally Farrah was 3-for-4, and Van Horn was 2-for-3 with a double and the homer.
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