Wilson Blast Gives Eagles Split with Mercyhurst
April 16, 2003

Complete Box Scores
Game 1     Game 2

He’s not Bill Mazeroski just yet, but Ashland University sophomore second baseman Adam Wilson does have a flair for the dramatic.

Wednesday (Apr. 16) at Donges Field, Wilson clubbed a leadoff homer to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning as AU shaded Mercyhurst, 9-8 in the first game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader. Unfortunately for the Eagles, they couldn’t keep that momentum going in the second game as they lost to the ‘Hurst, 7-3.

The split leaves AU at 22-13-1, 10-5-1 in league play. Mercyhurst is 12-21 and 3-9.

Wilson’s homer was his third of the year. He provided the late heroics, but if not for senior infielder Chris Skibinski, Wilson wouldn’t have been in a position to be a star. Skibinski was 2-for-4 and knocked in four runs. He hit a two-run homer in a five-run first inning and then drove in two more with a fifth-inning single.

AU’s other run came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior centerfielder Brandon Cornell tripled to center and senior designated hitter Brock Wiskochil singled to bring him home. That tied the game, 8-8.

AU led 5-0 after one inning. Senior righty Jon Krugman looked to be in control of the situation. He pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. When he left, AU was in front, 7-4.

Krugman turned the game over to sophomore lefty Ryan Douglas at the start of the seventh inning. Douglas got into immediate trouble. He lasted 2/3 of an inning, allowing four runs, three earned, on two hits. One of the hits was a three-run homer by Dan Coffee.

Senior Nate Wright relieved Douglas and got the final out in the seventh. After AU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, Wright retired the ‘Hurst in order in the eighth. Wilson’s homer made him a winner, improving his record to 6-2.

Wilson’s homer came off Michael Cahoon, who fell to 1-1. Cahoon pitched 2/3 of an inning. Nick Candy started for MC.

In addition to Coffee’s blast, the Lakers got a three-run homer from left fielder Paddy Relihan.

In the second game, MC righthander Steve Strohm took center stage. Strohm limited AU to six hits. He walked four and struck out nine. Strohm is 2-4, but those numbers are deceiving. Entering Wednesday’s start, his ERA was 3.72 and he had 43 strikeouts in 29 innings.

Strohm hit corners, kept the Eagles off balance and benefitted from an MC attack that consistently pecked away at Ryan Hartzell. The visitors scored single runs in the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. They crossed home plate twice in the fifth. Coffee was 4-for-4 and drove in two runs and catcher Frank Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

The game’s only extra base hit belonged to AU’s Butch Kaufman, who had a two-run double in the seventh. AU shortstop Tim Hinchliffe was 2-for-4.

Hartzell went six innings and allowed six runs, three earned, on nine hits. He walked two and struck out four in falling to 3-5. Chad Moore hurled the last inning.

AU returns to action on Friday (Apr. 18, 1 p.m.), hosting Northwood.