Baseball ends season with third-place KIAC finish

Wilmore, KY - The Eagles closed out their year in Berea at the KIAC Tournament, suffering both losses to eventual runner-up Brescia but eliminating Alice Lloyd and the host Mountaineers in the process of earning a third-place finish.

The tournament began for the Eagles with a hard-fought 10-9 loss to Brescia in the second game of the event. Asbury used a seven-run sixth inning to take a 9-6 lead but would surrender three runs in the next frame on a bases loaded error. The loss dropped Asbury to the consolation bracket where the Eagles thrived.

First up was a wild 27-16 win over Alice Lloyd just eight hours after the Brescia loss that featured a school-record for runs, hits, and possibly errors in the game as the Eagles were credited with eight errors in the four-hour marathon. Alice Lloyd jumped out early 8-0 but the Eagles would rally with the next 14 runs over their next two at-bats to take a 14-8 lead. Each team swapped a pair of runs before Alice Lloyd would tie the game at 16 after the sixth. The Eagles pitching finally took control with Josh Thigpen coming in to shut down the opposition while Asbury continued for 11 more runs to seal the game.

The win made for another quick turnaround as the Eagles then had to face host Berea the next morning at 11 a.m. after wrapping up the previous game just 12 hours prior. Once again the Eagles would surrender an early lead as Berea would go up 5-1 before Asbury responded by scoring 12 of the next 13 runs of the game en route to the 17-8 win. 

The Eagles were spared yet another eight-hour turnaround to face Brescia when rains came late Friday washing out the game and pushing the rematch to a Saturday afternoon start. This time Asbury would not be as successful against Brescia, falling 13-3 as the Bearcats advanced to the championship series, relegating Asbury to the third-place finish.

The two wins and two losses ended Asbury's season at 18-25 overall. The 18 wins are the third-most in school history only topped by the 25 wins in 2000 and 19 wins in 1999.

For their seasons, junior outfielder Slade Halvaksz and sophomore catcher Zach Monroe were named to the All-KIAC squad with Monroe earning All NAIA-Region XII honors.