Magical Season Ends in Hardeeville
HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – A magical run through the postseason came to an abrupt end in the NAIA Opening Round, as Asbury was eliminated by the University of South Carolina Beaufort 9-4. USCB stays alive to play top seed Faulkner tonight at 6 pm.
Asbury (18-39) continued to struggle with runners on base, leaving eight on including the bases loaded in the eighth after cutting the deficit to 8-4. Adam Miller responded by striking out two in a row to end the Eagles’ rally after AU collected four straight hits and scored twice.
Seniors Danny Olszowy and Tyler Weaver each had two hits in their final game in an Asbury uniform. Olszowy doubled in the first as Weaver tried to score but was thrown out on a perfect relay from left. Weaver doubled to start the rally in the eighth. Olszowy picked up an RBI in the third with a sac fly.
The Eagles took their only lead in the tournament in the first as Tyler Wooden singled home Olszowy from second. It was a short lived lead as the Sand Sharks took a 3-1 lead after one when Ty Main hit a three-run home run to left. USCB hit another three-run home run off the bat of Dylan Nasiatka in the sixth.
Miller (9-5) pitched a complete game nine-hitter allowing four runs, only three earned. He struck out nine and walked only one. Brad Williams (2-8) took the loss in his final start for the Eagles. The senior lasted 5.2 innings while allowing seven hits and seven runs.
Senior Josh Cummins ended his career on a 13-game hitting streak after a single in the eighth. All four senior position players (Weaver, Olszowy, Wooden, Cummins) picked up a hit in their final game. Olszowy held off Wooden and Casey Messner to set the school’s single season record for hits in a season at 67. Wooden and Messner finished with 64 each. Prior to this season no one in school history had ever recorded 60 hits.
The Eagles wrap up a spectacular come-from-behind season where they started 0-17 before finishing 3rd in the KIAC regular season at 9-7. They went on to win the KIAC Tournament in Kingsport, Tenn. for the first time in school history. That qualified them for the Unaffiliated Group Tournament where they knocked off No. 10 Point Park twice in four days to make the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round for the first time in school history.
