Eagles Pound Berea
BEREA, Ky. – After a 45 minute rain delay Asbury completed a 16-0 victory over Berea on Thursday night. The Eagles pounded out 19 hits and scored 10 runs in the second inning en route to a split on the day after losing game one 3-1.
Asbury (28-12-2, 17-6 KIAC) was backed by solid pitching performances in both games. Senior Jon Wes Adams (6-1) struck out 10 in a complete game victory in game two and fellow senior Greg Bowling (5-3) was the tough luck loser in game two. Both Adams and Bowling pitched complete games.
In game two the Eagles jumped all over Berea’s starter Trey McMillan in the second inning, scoring 10 runs on 11 hits. Asbury sent 15 batters to the plate. In the third inning the Eagles scored six more, two coming on Evan Thomsen’s two-run homer, his third. Berea used three pitchers to get out of the inning.
In the top of the fourth Asbury had two on with one out when the rain came. After 45 minutes the teams returned to the field to finish the 16-0 game as rain continued to fall. Adams would allow two of the four hits he surrendered after the stoppage and would strike out five. His first complete game shutout of the season lowers his ERA to a team-best 2.89. It is only the second shutout for the Eagles this season, Bowling throwing the first against Berea back on April 16th.
Twelve players picked up a hit and five had multi-hit games including Marshall Banks and Brandon Smith each picking up three hits.
In game one on Thursday Asbury struggled to hit Berea starter Brian Hill, getting only four hits off of the senior righty. The Eagles could manage only four hits but left seven men on base. Asbury scored first in the third inning as Danny Olszowy hit a one-out sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to score Colby Flowers. Asbury would leave two runners on.
In the fourth the Eagles had runners on first and third with one out but left both runners on after a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to short. Berea would take the lead with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Berea would add a third run, an unearned run, in the fifth, and in the top of the sixth the Eagles would again leave two runners on. Mark Deetsch and Marshall Banks reached on a walk and a single and a throwing error put them on second and third with one out but a pop-up and a strike out would end any threat.
Asbury’s scheduled make-up doubleheader at Brescia for Friday has been moved to Wilmore due to field conditions in Owensboro. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
