Schaly Eclipses Donges as AU Baseball Takes Two from Saginaw Valley State
AU baseball coach now winningest in program history
April 15, 2006

By Paul Carmany, AU Sports Information

Complete Box Scores
Game 1          Game 2

Just two weeks after reaching the 700-win plateau, Ashland University head baseball coach John Schaly passed another milestone on Saturday (April 15). The Eagles swept a doubleheader from conference rival Saginaw Valley State for the second straight day, enabling Schaly to become the winningest coach in program history at 347-147. Fittingly, Schaly, in his ninth season at AU, passed George Donges on a sun-drenched day at the field named for the Eagles’ legendary coach of 35 years (1936-71).

For the second straight day, the opening game of the doubleheader was a tight contest. A Casey Jirsa double in the bottom of the sixth plated the winning run in a 6-5 AU triumph. The nightcap turned into a romp as the Eagles exploded for 19 hits in a 16-1 victory.

Eighth-ranked Ashland, which has now won five consecutive games, is 32-8 overall and 13-3 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. The Eagles moved into a tie with Grand Valley State atop the conference standings.

Meanwhile, Saginaw Valley State, projected to be a contender for the conference crown at the season’s outset, slid to 13-18 overall and 3-15 in conference action.

SVSU second baseman Kevin Schwedler made two consecutive errors to open the bottom of the first inning in the lid-lifter. Those miscues opened the way for a four-run Ashland rally. Catcher Eric Zattlin had the big hit of the uprising, a two-run single.

The Cardinals battled back against AU starter Justin Richards, scoring one run in the second inning, another tally in the third and a pair in the fourth. A Chris Hanna RBI single knotted the game at 4 in the top of the fourth inning.

That clutch, two-out base hit would be the beginning of a showdown between the two teams’ left fielders, Hanna and Jirsa. Jirsa reclaimed the lead for the home team with a RBI triple in the bottom half of the fourth. SVSU then tied the game for a second time in the top of the sixth on a RBI single by Hanna.

Jirsa got the last laugh, though, as his two-out double plated Jim Barry with what proved to be the winning run. Ryan Douglas struck out the side in the Saginaw Valley State half of the seventh to preserve the win.

Douglas earned the win in relief, pitching an inning and a third of hitless ball, fanning three Cardinals. He is now 3-1.

Ben Esparza, the third SVSU pitcher, dropped to 1-1.

Jirsa ended up going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI for the Eagles. Justin Randall was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Barry also scored twice.

Hanna was 2-for-4 with two RBI for the red-clad visitors. Third baseman Brent Skiba finished 3-for-3 with a run and a RBI, helping SVSU outhit Ashland, 11-7.

The Eagles got off to another fast start in the day’s second game, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning. This time, the home team did not look back. AU scored multiple times in five of its six at-bats.

Meanwhile, Thom Abbott pitched a gem on the mound to warrant his second win of the weekend. He pitched the first six innings, yielding one run on five hits and striking out five. He is now 3-1. Cody Castle returned from injury to pitch a scoreless seventh, an encouraging sign for Schaly and his coaching staff.

Steve Liebrecht fell to 0-3 after giving up seven runs (four earned) and 11 hits in four innings of work.

Ashland had offensive stars aplenty in the second game. Randall was 4-for-5 with three doubles, a run scored and four RBI. David Waters ended up 3-for-4 with a home run, four runs scored and four RBI. Ron Oneson scored a trio of runs while going 2-for-2.

The Eagles will remain home at Donges Field for a Wednesday afternoon GLIAC doubleheader with Wayne State (14-25, 12-8 GLIAC). The first pitch will be thrown at 2 p.m.