MASON, Ohio - Walsh won the battle of the unbeatens to open Friday's action at the Great Midwest Baseball, defeating Kentucky Wesleyan 7-1 at Prasco Park. Walsh, the No. 6 seed in the 6-team event, advances to Saturday's final and is one win away from the NCAA Baseball Regional. Ashland beat Tiffin and Kentucky Wesleyan to bring the bracket to two teams.
Ashland needs to beat Walsh twice to win the title, beginning Saturday at noon ET.
#6 Walsh 7, #4 Kentucky Wesleyan 1 (BOX SCORE)
The top four spots of the Walsh batting order combined for nine hits and five runs as a relentless offensive attack put No. 6 Walsh in the tournament driver's seat in a 7-1 win over No. 4 KWC. The Cavs, winners of 10 of the last 14 and seven straight, will play the winner or KWC and the TU-AU winner for the title on Saturday.
Joey Holiga went 3-for-4 with a double off the wall and scored twice for Walsh, which totaled 12 hits and 18 total bases. Four other Cavs had two hits apiece, including Austin Marko who hit a solo home run when the game was tied 1-1. Holiga's two-run double off the top of the left field wall keyed a three-run top of the 5th for Walsh that enabled the No. 6 seed to take control of the game.
Alex Beyerle pitched 7.0 solid innings with no earned runs or walks allowed before handing off to Cole Brogan for the final six outs. Walsh has used five pitchers to go 3-0 and cover 28 inning with a 1.61 team ERA during the tournament.
#2 Ashland 13, #1 Tiffin 3 (BOX SCORE)
Ashland stayed alive in the tournament with a 13-3 rout over top seed Tiffin. Ian Sanders went 4-for-5
With Ashland leading 2-1, the Eagles then put up three runs in both the 4th and 5th innings to take control of the game. A 4-spot in the 7th clinched the run rule and saved a couple innings on Ashland's pitching staff as it headed into Friday night's loser bracket final.
Devin Hukill had three RBIs and Micah Allen and Sebastian Fabik each had two hits and Seth Schroeder walked twice and drove in two runs.
Tiffin, which went 22-6 during conference play this year, finished a stellar season with a 29-19 overall record.
Ashland won two elimination games Friday to make the Great Midwest baseball final vs. Walsh.
#2 Ashland 8, #4 Kentucky Wesleyan 3 (BOX SCORE)
A loser goes home game under the lights at Prasco Park - there are few scenes in college baseball better than that. And it was Ashland who played big on the stage, beating KWC in an elimination game 8-3. Ashland's win sent the Eagles to the championship vs. Walsh.
Sebastian Fabik went 3-for-4 with two run-scoring doubles and four RBIs to lead the Eagles, the No. 2 seed in the tourney. Austin Eifrid and Seth Schroeder each had three hits at the top of the lineup as AU pounded out 15 hits.
AU jumped on Walsh early with three runs in the 1st, with a 2-run double by Fabik setting the tone early. After KWC pulled to within 3-2 in the 3rd inning, Ashland struck again. Fabik hit another RBI double and Ashland capitalized on an error to put up three runs to lead 6-2. Ashland added insurance runs late and deftly managed its pitching workload to set up the showdown Saturday with WU.
Kentucky Wesleyan started the season 0-14 but improved and peaked when it mattered most, finishing the season 26-28 overall. KWC won 26 of its last 40 games.