AU Baseball Bats Explode in Soggy Sunday Sweep at Gannon
April 23, 2006

By Paul Carmany, AU Sports Information

Complete Box Scores
Game 1          Game 2

Needing a pair of wins to keep pace with hot Grand Valley State and Mercyhurst squads, the Ashland University baseball team’s offense delivered in a big way on a chilly, soggy Sunday (April 23) at Gannon. The Eagles, who had scored only four total runs in a doubleheader split on Saturday, won by 14-3 and 12-7 counts.

Ashland, ranked fifth nationally, is now 36-10 overall and 17-5 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. The Eagles are tied for second in the conference standings with Mercyhurst. Both teams are a game and a half behind the 18-3 Grand Valley State team. Meanwhile, Gannon is 12-30 and 2-18 in conference action.

Coach John Schaly’s AU squad matched Saturday’s total offensive output in the top of the first inning of Sunday’s first contest. Designated hitter Justin Richards’ third home run of the year, a three-run shot, highlighted the Eagles’ four-run outburst.

Cody Castle, making his first start since March 25, appreciated the run support. He pitched five effective innings, allowing three runs on six hits. The hard-throwing right-hander fanned four Golden Knight batters and walked just one while improving to 4-1.

The Eagles went on to score at least once in six of the seven innings, including a four-run sixth. The visitors recorded 14 base hits and took advantage of 11 free passes on their way to a 14-3 decision.

Richards later added a double and ended up going 2-for-3 with two runs and three runs batted in. Bryan Thrasher went 3-for-5 with two RBI. John Hosgood and Ray Frisbee scored three runs apiece. Ninth hitter Tyson Rowland was 2-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI and a pair of doubles.

Jesse Michel and Matt Patton each pitched an inning in relief. Both kept Gannon hitless and the pair combined for five strikeouts.

Starter Bo Corbett (2-3) took the loss for Gannon. He went the first five innings, allowing eight runs on 12 hits.

Ashland again took an early lead in the nightcap, opening the scoring with a three-run top of the second inning. Thrasher and Justin Randall each recorded sacrifice flies during the frame, marking two of AU’s four sacrifice flies in the game.

The home team erupted for four runs against Eagle starting pitcher Jim Barry in the bottom of the third. Gannon third baseman David Gnacinski, who would commit a trio of errors during the contest, had a two-run single to highlight the rally.

Ashland came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth without recording a base hit. Second baseman Chris Haycox walked, went to second on a passed ball, took third on a wild pitch and scored on David Waters’ sac fly.

A sacrifice fly by Hosgood gave the Eagles the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning, 5-4. Waters’ two-run single later in the inning broke the game open a bit.

The Eagles entered the bottom of the fifth with an 8-4 advantage and Schaly handed the ball to Josh Davidson. Davidson was able to hold the lead and record his third save of the year, allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings of work.

Barry (8-3) was the winning pitcher. Gannon touched him up for four runs (three earned) on six hits in four innings.

Frank Lauria fell to 2-4 as he was saddled with the loss for the Golden Knights. He allowed eight runs (three earned) on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Lauria walked six AU hitters.

Casey Jirsa was 2-for-5 with a double, his fifth home run of the year, two runs scored and a RBI. Waters knocked in four runs and went 2-for-3. Gannon actually outhit AU, 13-10, but the Golden Knights gave up seven unearned runs.

The Eagles will now play 10 straight GLIAC games at Donges Field, beginning with a Wednesday (April 26) doubleheader against Hillsdale, beginning at 2 p.m. The Chargers, who split a doubleheader with AU on April 12, are 14-22 overall, 5-15 in conference play.