Eagles Settle for Split With Fighting Scots
March 19, 2003

The Ashland University baseball team got a split decision Wednesday in its home opener. The good news is that at this point in the young season, there’s no need to worry about a TKO.

The Eagles hosted Edinboro Wednesday in a non-conference twinbill. After winning with ease in the first game, 9-2, AU watched as the Fighting Scots scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to win the second game, 4-3.

The split leaves AU at 10-7. Edinboro is 3-14.

“We’re not playing good defense,” lamented AU head coach John Schaly. “We’ve got to improve our defense.”

Defensive lapses helped the Fighting Scots fight back in the nightcap. A dropped ball in the outfield, a passed ball and an obstruction call all played a part in the ‘Boro rally.

In the first game, the Eagles scored six times on six hits in the first inning. The first six hitters in the lineup had hits. Senior catcher Brock Wiskochil had a two-run single and senior designated hitter Butch Kaufman belted a three-run triple in the uprising. AU then added single runs in the second, third and fifth innings.

Wiskochil ended the game 2-for-4. Senior outfielder Adam Whetstone was 2-for-2 with a double. AU’s leading hitter was junior centerfielder Brandon Cornell, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Senior righty Nate Wright went the front four innings to get the win. Wright, this week’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pitcher of the week, is 3-0. He limited the ‘Boro to two runs on six hits with one strikeout. Freshman lefty Bryce Bednarczyk went the final three innings. He didn’t allow a hit, gave up one walk and fanned four.

The second game began as a pitching duel between AU lefty Ryan Douglas and EUP righthander Travis Butcher. Schaly used the second game to get his staff some work and lifted Douglas after 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Sophomore righty Matt Pignato came on and faced three hitters before giving way to senior Jon Krugman. Pignato gave up a run and was on the hook for the loss until AU scored twice in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead.

Senior infielder Chris Skibinski, who was 2-for-4, had an RBI single in that spurt. AU added a run in the sixth inning to go in front, 3-1. Sophomore second baseman Adam Wilson smacked a one-out triple and came home on a sacrifice fly by freshman David Waters.

The Eagles turned the game over to ace righty Ryan Hartzell in the seventh inning. For one of the few times in his career, Hartzell couldn’t close out the game. The ‘Boro opened the frame by getting the first two runners on, the first via an error on Cornell, the second on a single. After a pop out to the catcher, Hartzell hit leadoff hitter Jerrod Hunt with a pitch to load the bases. One run scored on a passed ball, but Hartzell struck out Jay Spang for the second out. That left runners on second and third and two outs.

A single by D.J. Sammel brought in the run the tied the contest, 3-3. The Scots then tried to work a double steal with runners on the corners and pulled it off when AU was called for obstruction during the rundown play between first and second.

Down 4-3, junior catcher Josh Gaub drew a leadoff walk in the seventh inning. But Skibinski bounced into a double play and relief pitcher Jason Gilotty retired Kaufman on a fly to left to end the game.

“We really didn’t play well after the first inning of the first game,” noted Schaly. “We just didn’t play well in the second game.” Asked about using the second game to get his staff some work and if that played any role in AU’s demise, the AU coach just shook his head.

“We did that,” he admitted, “but that’s no excuse.”

Ashland opens Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday (Mar. 22), hosting Findlay in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. The teams will also play a doubleheader in Ashland on Sunday at 1 p.m.