TIFFIN, Ohio - The Dragons only managed three hits and an unearned run as Tiffin (5-14, 2-3) fell to Ashland (12-6, 3-2 GLIAC) Wednesday afternoon at Heminger Field at the Paradiso Athletic Complex.
Colin Lowe managed two of the Dragons three hits and one run in three at-bats. Ryan Williams added a single in the seventh. Pat Curtin fell to 2-3 on the year, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and one strikeout.
Ajay Meyer threw the entire seven innings for Ashland, giving up an unearned run on three hits with seven strikeouts. Meyer threw only 87 pitches, hitting the strike zone 61 times. John Kuzio led the Eagles with two hits in three at-bats with three RBI's and a run scored. Matt McAllester went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
After a scoreless first, Ashland took a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to timely two-out hitting. With two down and a runner at second, Adam Murphy and Adam Gundlach followed with walks to load the bases. McAllester moved everyone up one base with a single while Kuzio added a two-RBI single to center to put the visitors up 3-0. Curtin got the next Eagle batter to fly out to end the inning.
Ashland added another single run in the top of the fourth before Tiffin threatened in the bottom of the inning. With two hit by pitches wrapped around a fielder's choice resulting in two on with one out, Chris Hall struck out swinging. Lowe followed with a line drive that went off the pitcher's leg that ended the no-hitter, but Meyer got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.
The Eagles got an insurance run in the top of the seventh before Tiffin pushed its lone run across the plate in the bottom of the inning. Lowe added his second hit of the day with one out before Williams hit a two-out single down the right field line to put men on the corners. Zach McCutcheon followed and hit a ground ball to first, but the Ashland fielder let the ball go under his glove as TU scored a run to end the shutout. A fielder's choice ended the ballgame.
Tiffin returns to action this weekend when it travels to Detroit for a pair of twinbills against Wayne State. Saturday's games begin at 1 p.m. while play begins Sunday at noon.
