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Late-game heroics from senior Jenny Raguz secured a sweep for Ashland University over non-conference opponent Wheeling Jesuit on Wednesday (April 19) at Brookside Park.
In Game 2, the Eagles led 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning as Cardinal Courtney Rogers came up to bat with runners on first and second and two outs.
Rogers lined a single to Raguz in left field, and Raguz fired home as WJU's Cassie Holstein rounded third base. The throw reached the glove of freshman catcher Cassie Haight, and Holstein was still about three strides from scoring. Haight applied the tag, and Ashland improved to 25-18 on the season.
"I can't say I've saved a game like that before," Raguz said. "This is a first."
"Knowing the situation, I knew I was going to go four on it. My teammates were joking with me the pitch before saying that the other coach was telling their players to score on anything hit to the outfield. So I credit my teammates for giving me the heads up on that."
AU freshman Dayna Denner's single in the bottom of the third scored Raguz, and that would be the game's lone run.
Eagle sophomore Hannah Stroe pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before handing the ball to junior Paige McMenemy, who recorded her third save of the season.
Stroe's win was her career-high eighth this season, topping her freshman total of seven.
Ashland also took a close victory in Game 1, winning, 5-3.
Denner compiled a game-high three hits and two RBIs.
Senior Alexis Van Horn and sophomores Kylie Asmus and Halle Dorko also supplied the Eagles with an RBI apiece.
Ashland is now on a season-best five-game win streak.
"The entire day today was positive," AU head coach Sheilah Gulas said. "It was definitely something we needed going into this weekend playing Hillsdale."
UP NEXT: The Eagles return to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader at the Chargers on Saturday (April 22) beginning at 1 p.m. in Hillsdale, Mich.
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