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Jirsa Goes on Homer
Spree in AU Sweep of Hillsdale |
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Complete Box Scores Thanks to rains that pelted the Ashland area all week, AU’s Donges Field could have been called Mudville on Saturday (April 3). Because of the presence of freshman third baseman Casey Jirsa, there was plenty of joy in Mudville on Saturday. This Casey didn’t strike out. He rapped three homers and drove in eight runs as Ashland swept Hillsdale, 17-0 and 17-2 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader. Ashland is 21-7, 5-1 and in first place in the GLIAC. Hillsdale, which won three of four games against AU in the regular season last season, is 8-14 and 3-6 in conference play. Jirsa entered Saturday’s action hitting .238 with two homers and 16 RBI. In Saturday’s two games he went 3-for-7 and scored three runs. He belted a grand slam in the second game. AU gave starting pitchers Cody Castle and Todd Martinelli plenty of early runs. In the opener, AU scored six times in the second inning and plated six more runs in the third. Senior center fielder Brandon Cornell doubled while going 3-for-4 with four RBI. Senior shortstop Eric McDaniel was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Senior second baseman Mark Kahlenberg, who’s been on a hitting tear the last week, was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Senior right fielder Bryce Bednarczyk was 2-for-3. AU had 16 hits. Castle was efficient in limiting the Chargers to four hits. He went the first six innings and threw 59 pitches. The junior righthander didn’t walk a batter and whiffed three in running his record to 5-0. Sophomore righty Jim Barry pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Only outfielder Kyle Wade had much success against Castle and Barry. He went 3-for-3. AU pounded HC starter and loser Charlie Krebs (1-2) for seven runs in the first inning of the second game. The Eagles added four more runs in the third and led, 11-0 after three frames. By that time, Martinelli (5-2) was cruising. He allowed two runs on seven hits in pitching his third complete game of the year. He walked three and struck out three. In addition to Jirsa’s two hits, Bednarczyk and freshman first baseman Ron Oneson had two hits. McDaniel and senior catcher Josh Gaub belted triples and McDaniel ended the game with three RBI. Krebs went 2-for-3 for the Chargers. Ashland and Hillsdale will complete their series with a pair of games on Sunday. The twinbill begins at 1 p.m. |