#14 Ashland 8 Wayne State 6
#14 Ashland scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to snap a 6-6 tie as the Eagles defeated Wayne State College 8-6 Wednesday afternoon at the RussMatt Invitational Baseball Tournament in Auburndale, Florida. Ashland is now 9-3 on the season while WSC slips to 8-7 overall after going 2-3 in Florida during spring break.
Wayne State got off to a quick start, striking for four runs in the top of the first inning.
Bryce Bisenius laced an RBI single to score
Brendan Madsen (single) with the first Wildcat run.
Andrew Hanson walked and scored on a
Noah Roberts single while
CJ Neumann and
Jake Lemar each followed with run-scoring singles that scored Bisenius and Roberts.
Ashland responded with two runs in the bottom of the first and added four more in the second to chase Wildcat starter
Aaron Ras, giving the Eagles a 6-4 lead after two innings.
The scoring pace slowed with the Wildcats notching single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to even the score at 6-6. In the fourth, Madsen singled and scored on a
Alex Logelin RBI double and the 'Cats tied the game in the fifth when Neumann walked and crossed home plate on a double by Lemar.
But Ashland regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth with one run and added an insurance run in the eighth with another run to close with an 8-6 win.
Wayne State held an 11-9 advantage over Ashland in hits with Lemar finished 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Madsen went 2 for 5 with two runs scored on a pair of singles while Logelin was 2 for 4 with a double and RBI. Bisenius singled twice and had an RBI and run scored.
Reliever
Lawson Zenner (1-1) suffered the pitching loss, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts. Starter
Aaron Ras worked 1 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on one hit with three walks and a strikeout. Reliever
Ryan Petersen pitched 3 2/3 innings and was charged with one run on five hits.
Logan Walters and
Andrew Staebell each worked one inning of relief to end the game.
Wayne State is scheduled to open Northern Sun Conference play at home Saturday hosting Northern State (weather permitting) in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne.