Eagles Baseball in Top Form in Sweep of NKU
April 27, 2004

Complete Box Scores
Game 1       Game 2

Walk in any mattress factory and you’ll have no problem getting a product with plenty of cushioning.

Take the mound for your average baseball team and it’s not so easy to get that same kind of cushioning. Unless you pitch for the Ashland University Eagles that is.

Tuesday (Apr. 27) at Donges Field the Eagles (37-11) used big early leads to sweep Northern Kentucky, 13-4 and 7-4 in a non-conference doubleheader. Ashland scored four times in the first inning of both games and led the second contest, 7-2 after two frames. Having that kind of support made life much easier for AU starting pitchers Chad Moore and Matt Pignato.

Moore went 5 2/3 innings in the first game. He improved his record to 4-0 by allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits. He walked four and struck out four. Ryan Douglas got the final out of the sixth inning and freshman lefthander Matt Patton wrapped things up with a scoreless seventh inning.

AU rapped out 14 hits against the NKU pitching tandem of Brad Baker and Brent Thauer. Baker, who went 5 innings, absorbed the loss, falling to 0-3.

Ashland catcher Josh Gaub went 4-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBI. The roundtripper was his sixth of the season. Center fielder Brandon Cornell was 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. Cornell leads the Eagles with 55 RBI. Designated hitter Bryce Bednarczyk was 3-for-4 and drove in three runs.

Conor McGeehan and Shaun Erie had two hits apiece for NKU (28-22).

In the second game, AU sophomore outfielder David Waters was 2-for-4 with four RBI. That line included a three-run homer. Cornell and Gaub both went 2-for-3 with Cornell belting a triple. AU reached losing pitcher Mike Marksbury (1-2) for six hits and seven runs in three innings. Steve Thomas hurled the last three innings and didn’t allow a run.

Pignato (3-1) gave the Eagles 6 2/3 innings in his fourth start of the season. He was touched for four runs and 10 hits. He walked one and struck out one. Douglas came on to get the game’s final out and his third save of the season.

Shortstop Matt Wagers and center fielder Craig Caddock had two hits apiece for the Norse.

Ashland will host Mercyhurst for two games on Wednesday (Apr. 28, 2 p.m.).