May 18, 2007

Akron, Ohio - Drury University kept its season alive Friday with a 10-5 win over Ashland in an elimination game at the NCAA DII North Central Regional in Akron, Ohio. Drury (32-23) advances to the 2 p.m. game Saturday versus the loser of the Saginaw Valley State-Southern Indiana game that will be played Friday night. Ashland closes the 2007 season with a 38-19 mark.

Ashland opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first on two hits and one Drury error. The Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the second with a run on two hits. However, Drury picked up its first hit in the third and put together three straight hits to score its first run of the game. The Panthers then scored four runs on four hits, the big blow being a three-run triple by Joe Rohlfing. Ashland struck for a single run in the both the fifth and sixth innings to tie the score at 5-5.

Drury broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth with five runs on four hits and two Ashland errors. An infield single plated one run and Harrison Waters hit a two-run single to right to give the Panthers an 8-5 lead. C Tyler Wright reached on an error by the first baseman that plate two more runs for a 10-5 advantage.

Drury reliever Justin Skinner picked up the win, allowing just one hit in two innings of work. Drury's Harrison Waters yielded five runs on eight hits in six innings of work as the starter. Ashland's Simon Liston was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs, two of which ere earned on three hits. AU's Todd Schlenkerman lasted 6.2 innings, giving up five runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts and five walks.

DU's Joe Rohlfing was 3-6 with three RBI, while Tyler Goss collected three hits scored two runs. Dane Hughes was 2-3 with two runs scored. Drury pounded out 14 hits on the afternoon. Ashland was led by Justin Randall, Jacob Petkac and Chris Haycox who each collected two hits.