LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL PAGE
On March 24 at Brookside Park, Ashland University's softball team handed then-No. 8-ranked Grand Valley State its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss of 2019.
Friday (April 19) in Allendale, Mich., the Eagles dealt the No. 15-ranked Lakers their latest GLIAC defeat, as AU won Game 2 of the GLIAC doubleheader, 6-1. GVSU won Friday's opener, 2-0, leaving Ashland at 26-18 overall and 11-11 in the conference, and Grand Valley State at 34-8, 18-6.
Ashland is one of two teams to top Grand Valley State twice this season, along with Davenport.
The nightcap featured a strong pitching performance from senior Hannah Stroe (12-10), who authored a complete-game five-hitter, allowing no earned runs and no walks and striking out two.
Junior designated player Dayna Denner launched her ninth home run of the spring to give Ashland a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, then the Eagles added a three-spot in the top of the third thanks to a bases-loaded walk from senior right fielder Halle Dorko and a two-run single from senior third baseman Paige Summers.
Ashland's sixth and final run of Game 2 came on an RBI single from senior first baseman Kylie Asmus in the top of the seventh.
Junior second baseman Camille Pollutro was 2-for-4 and scored two runs, and Denner and Summers each drove in two runs.
In Friday's opener, the Lakers scored the game's only runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore pitcher Laney Jones (12-8) was stingy, yielding the two runs, four hits and four walks and striking out two in six innings.
Denner was 2-for-2 in Game 1, and thanks to at least one hit in 16 of the last 19 games, is up to a .422 season batting average.
Ashland will play the seventh and eighth games of its 10-game road trip on Saturday (April 20) at noon at Northwood (23-18-1, 13-9).
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