GAME ONE BOX
GAME TWO BOX
AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Ashland University (Ohio), ranked No. 23 in the nation, earned a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Southwest Minnesota State on Monday in Auburndale, Fla., using a pair of late-inning rallies to earn a 7-0 victory in game one and completing the sweep with a 10-3 victory in game two.
Ashland (6-3) took advantage of six SMSU (2-5) errors in game one and then used eight walks and three hit by batters by Mustang pitchers in game two for the sweep. SMSU has now lost four straight games.
In game one, Ashland (6-3) took advantage of six Mustang errors to earn the 7-0 victory. AU snapped a scoreless tie scoring two runs in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single and sac fly off of Mustang starter Brad Haag. The Eagles then put the game away in the seventh inning scoring five runs on three hits and taking advantage of four Mustang errors in the inning.
Ashland starter Joe Malfara tossed a two-hit shutout, with three strikeouts and zero walks.
SMSU threatened in the third inning as Tyler Jendro lead off with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. Derick Swenson was hit by a pitch with one out to put runners on first and second, but a strikeout and fly out ended the inning.
Haag suffered the loss tossing 5.2 innings allowing six hits, two earned runs and three walks and dropped to 1-1 on the season.
In the nightcap, SMSU started the scoring in the first inning as Swenson lead off with a double and came around to score on a run-scoring single by Matt Bauer.
Ashland tied it with a single run in the first, before SMSU regained the lead in the third inning with Bobby Zellman leading the inning off with a double down the left field line and coming around to score on a sac fly from Andrew Kinney.
The Eagles answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead after three innings.
SMSU had a great chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the fourth, loading the bases on singles by Cody Curry and Chris Eichten and a walk to Mark Hanson. AU reliever Andrew Pinkelman then entered the game and struck out Zellman and Swenson to keep the Eagles in the lead.
Ashland added another run in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, before SMSU rallied in the sixth with Zellman smacking a two-out single and scored one batter later as Swenson drilled an RBI double in the left-center field gap to cut the AU lead to 4-3.
That was as close as the Mustang would come though, as AU answered with another late-inning rally, this time scoring six runs in the sixth inning to seal the win.
SMSU made it interesting in the seventh, closing out the game scoring four runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Tyler Fayden, a wild pitch and a two-run double by Zellman. SMSU loaded the bases, putting the tying run on base, but AU's Jeremy Sloan struck out Kinney to end the game.
Zellman led the SMSU offense with three hits, while Swenson and Bauer each added two apiece. Alex Alvarez, making his first collegiate appearance and start, took the loss for the Mustangs, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing four hits, four runs, four walks and hit three batters.
SMSU will have tomorrow off before returning to action on Wednesday, March 10, for a nine-inning game versus Slippery Rock University (Pa.) beginning at 10 a.m. EST in Lakeland, Fla.
