Eagles Shine in Florida; Baseball Team Playing Well on Spring Trip
March 5, 2006

Through their first five games in Fort Myers, FL, the Ashland University baseball team has been as hot as August pavement.

Like heat rising off the asphalt, the Eagles have left opposing pitchers flushed and frustrated.

The trip began on Friday (Mar. 3) with a 13-4 triumph over C.W. Post. Saturday (Mar. 4), AU took a doubleheader from Saint Rose, 9-2 and 15-1. Sunday (Mar. 5) saw the Eagles sweep another twinbill as they got the better of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 14-3 and 4-2. Those five wins up the Eagles’ record to 6-2.

Against C.W. Post, Ashland piled up 17 hits. Junior infielder Justin Randall was 3-for-5 and first baseman Ron Oneson, catcher Eric Zattlin, and shortstop Jim Barry had two hits apiece. Junior Josh Davidson started and went five innings for the win.

In the first game against Saint Rose, the Eagles backed starter Cody Castle with 13 hits. Outfielder David Waters, infielder Casey Jirsa, Oneson and infielder John Hosgood collected two hits apiece. Castle allowed one run in six innings. He walked one and whiffed eight. Matt Patton got one inning of work on the hill.

The second game saw AU bang out 16 hits. Jirsa and Hosgood had two more hits each and both players doubled. Catcher Chase Beatty was 2-for-2 and drove in three runs. Barry pitched five innings to get the victory. He allowed a run on five hits.

In Sunday’s first game, Ashland had 17 hits. Five players had two hits each. The mound win went to freshman righthander Todd Schlenkerman, who pitched the front four innings.

In the second game, sophomore Jesse Michel gave the Eagles six airtight innings on the mound. He had a walk and three strikeouts and allowed two runs. Lefty Ryan Douglas pitched a scoreless ninth frame and gained the save.

Waters and Randall both had two hits to spearhead the offensive attack.

Ashland is slated to play Stonehill on Monday (Mar. 6).