LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL PAGE
In its final regular-season games of 2018, Ashland University's softball team lost 3-0 and 6-1 decisions to No. 10-ranked Grand Valley State on Sunday (April 29) at Brookside Park.
The Eagles go into the 2018 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at 23-23 overall and 13-15 in the conference. As the No. 6 seed, Ashland will open up on Friday (May 4) at 12:30 p.m. vs. No. 3 seed Saginaw Valley State.
"We came in with a lot of excitement this morning," said Ashland head coach Emlyn Knerem. "The girls were loose, they were ready to play. We didn't make any adjustments at the plate. We just couldn't find a way to end the inning.
"I think we are a much more talented team than what we showed today on the field."
The Lakers, the GLIAC regular-season champions, are 35-7, 22-2.
With two outs in the top of the fourth inning in Game 1, a hit-by-pitch led to an RBI double by Jessica Ramos. The Lakers extended their lead to 3-0 in the next frame on a two-out RBI triple from Teagan Shomin and a run-scoring single from Kaylie Rhynard.
Grand Valley State pitcher Allison Lipovsky made that score stand up, turning in a complete-game seven-hit shutout. Lipovsky struck out 11 and walked one.
Sophomore shortstop Bree Gill was 3-for-3, while junior center fielder Erika Farst was 2-for-3. Ashland left 10 runners on base in the defeat.
Freshman pitcher Laney Jones (6-5) went the distance, allowing eight hits, three runs and no walks, and striking out five.
In Game 2, Ramos got the Lakers going with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. Rachel Terwilliger followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 GVSU lead, then a wild pitch with the bases loaded made it 3-0, and back-to-back RBI hits from Bailey Thatcher and Shomin ran the advantage to 5-0.
The Lakers added a sixth run in the top of the sixth courtesy of an RBI groundout by Taylor Rieger.
Ashland got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out Laker error, which allowed junior third baseman Paige Summers to score.
Junior pitcher Hannah Stroe (9-10) allowed nine hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings, striking out one.
UP NEXT: The 2018 GLIAC Tournament, Friday-Sunday (May 4-6) at Sports Force Parks in Sandusky, Ohio. It is the 20th time in 23 seasons of GLIAC play that Ashland will play in the GLIAC Tournament (Ashland qualified for the 2004 and 2010 tournaments that weren't played due to rain).
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