ASHLAND, Ohio – The Davenport baseball team had two very tough losses at No. 17 Ashland on Tuesday. The Eagles led 5-0 in game one before the Panthers tied it with five runs in the fifth. AU scored once in the bottom of the sixth to win 6-5. Game two went back-and-forth and was tied 7-7 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Michael Rogers then played the hero with a two-out, grand slam to win it 11-7.
How It Happened: The weather improved around 10 degrees from Monday and provided very favorable conditions for the doubleheader at Donges Field. The first game looked to be a runaway for the Eagles as they led 5-0 after four innings.
Pete Zeimis got the start and went two innings. He allowed two runs but just one earned.
Duncan Gillett gave up three runs in 1.1 innings.
The Panthers did not fold as they scored five runs in the fifth to tie the game.
Jacob Buchberger drove home the first run with the bases loaded on an error and a second run scored on that play.
Alex Huard then followed with a two-run single through the left side to cut it to 5-4. Chance Hitchcock was pulled after that for the Eagles and replaced by Perry Bewley.
Noah Marcoux hit a sacrifice fly to left as
Nolan Bryant scored the tying run.
The Eagles scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Buchberger was on the mound after getting two big outs with the bases loaded in the fifth. Sam Hawley singled up the middle with one out and Matt Littrell singled to left. The throw trying to cut down Hawley at third was wild and bounced away toward the home dugout allowing Hawley to score. Chris Slavik came into the game in the sixth to get the last two outs and then retired Davenport in order with the final two outs strikeouts looking.
Davenport got on the board first in the first inning of game two. Buchberger singled and stole second. Marcoux then delivered a two-out single up the middle for the 1-0 lead. Ashland took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.
Cole Sanderson got the start for Davenport and uncorked a wild pitch to score the first run. Jason Swope then doubled for a 2-1 lead.
DU scored twice in the third to regain a one-run lead. The rally started with two outs as Bryant singled and Huard doubled to right center to tie the game. Marcoux reached on a fielding error at third base and Huard scored for a 3-2 lead.
Ashland tied it up with a run in the third as Dillan Smith had a bloop single to left against
Evan Maize who entered in the second inning. Davenport scored twice more in the fourth to lead 5-3. Sam Rice came into pitch for the Eagles and Buchberger singled home a run with the bases loaded. Bryant then had a sacrifice to center as
Dylan Watson scored.
The Eagles scored on a pair of wild pitches in the bottom of the fourth to tie it at 5. Davenport once again took a lead in the sixth as Buchberger smacked a two-run home run over the wall in left. The Eagles had an answer in the bottom half as Matt Littrell hit a two-run home run with one out.
The Panthers left the bases loaded and could not score in the seventh. They also left a pair of runners on base in the eighth against Slavik. Slavik would get his second win of the doubleheader when Michael Rogers hit a two-out, grand slam home run to end the game at 11-7. The game was called due to darkness after that.
Game Notes: Davenport committed six errors in the series and those proved costly in the three losses. The Eagles gained a little revenge after the Panthers won all five meetings last season. Buchberger batted .357 in the series with a team-high four RBI. Bryant hit .364 going 4-for-11 with two runs. Flilipski batted .444 going 4-for-9.
On Deck: Davenport (13-10, 1-6 GLIAC) will have a pivotal series at Grand Valley State (8-14-1, 1-6-1 GLIAC) beginning on Friday, April 5 at 4 p.m.
