Castle’s Gem Keeps Eagles Alive at Baseball Regional
May 19, 2006

Complete Box Score

Over the course of the last year, Ashland University pitcher Cody Castle has experienced just about every form or rehabilitation known to medical science as he’s worked to bounce back from Tommy John surgery on his right arm.

That’s tough, but what’s just as tough is rehabbing one’s spirit and will. A comeback from Tommy John surgery has more ups and downs than a roller coaster and there’s no balm to rub on, no pain pill that makes second thoughts about chucking it all go away.

Friday (May 19) at Grand Valley State, maybe the senior discovered the perfect medicine. He threw aspirin tablets at the host Lakers for 7.1 innings as the Eagles stayed alive in the double-elimination, NCAA Division II North Central Regional Baseball Tournament with a 7-3 win over Grand Valley State.

To claim the tourney title and move on to Montgomery, AL, the Eagles must win three more games. They can’t lose again. Their next test is Saturday (May 20) at 1 p.m. against Rockhurst, which is 1-1 in this event, just like AU.

The Eagles (43-15) knocked off the top-seeded Lakers (45-9) with exceptional pitching on Castle’s part and three RBI from junior third baseman Justin Richards. Richards was 2-for-3 and all his RBI came with two outs. In the first inning, he had a two-run double to left that helped the Eagles build a 3-0 lead after one stanza. He singled in another run in AU’s three-run eighth inning.

That three-run first inning helped restore some of the Eagles’ confidence. Entering the game, AU had lost five consecutive games and had an eight-game losing streak against Grand Valley. On the last weekend of the regular season, in Ashland, the Lakers swept a four-game series. Friday's AU victory put an end to a 21-game GVSU win skein.

This victory also came against righthander Jeremy Dow, who entered the game with a 12-0 record. The loss was just Grand Valley’s second of the year at home, the Lakers are 18-2 on their home diamond this season. Entering this game, the Lakers were 11-1 at home in regional postseason play over the last three years and Thursday’s first-round game.

“Coach didn’t say anything about that (losing streak) when he got on the bus this morning,” said Castle. “It never came up. He just said there are no Babe Ruths in their lineup.”

For much of the game, Castle (6-2) made the Lakers look like Mario Mendoza. He allowed only three hits over the first seven innings.

“It was a bonus playing them,” said Castle. “Our coaches gave us a good scouting report, plus we get to see them.”

Castle worked both sides of the plate and was able to throw strikes with every pitch in his arsenal. GVSU didn’t get a runner to third base until the fifth inning and the Lakers didn’t score until they pushed two runs across in the eighth. Castle allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He was relieved by senior lefthander Ryan Douglas, who got his fourth save of the season. Douglas went 1.2 innings and allowed one run – it was unearned – on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.

“That was what we were hoping for,” said AU head coach John Schaly in reviewing Castle’s work. “He’s a bulldog. It’s been a long recovery for him. There was a spell this year where we had to shut him down. He deserved it. He’s worked so hard to come back.”

The Eagles made Dow, the GLIAC pitcher of the year, work harder than usual. In six innings he permitted four runs (three earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out three.

“I think our guys competed in the batter’s box,” Schaly said when asked to evaluate the Eagles’ success against Dow. “It was big to get that three-spot in the first inning. It put pressure on them. All of that against a good pitcher, a great pitcher.”

Nate McCrory and David Bowman followed Dow to the mound. AU finished with a total of nine hits. In addition to Richards, junior second baseman Justin Randall went 2-for-3. Randall, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the year, got some more good news Friday when it was announced that he is the region player of the year.

The only GVSU player with more than one hit was shortstop Dan Skirka, who was 2-for-3. Castle and Douglas limited the Lakers to seven hits and only one of those went for extra bases.