HOOVER, Ala. – The Asbury University baseball team opened the 2021 season on a strong note. Senior
Will McDonald became the all-time wins leader in Asbury baseball history and the Eagles swept Toccoa Falls with convincing 9-5 and 13-3 victories on Friday in Hoover.
The Shelbyville, Ky. native picked up his 18
th win in his Asbury pitching career on Friday afternoon, helping AU jump out to a 2-0 start to the 2021 season.
Asbury will conclude its play in Hoover on Saturday with a doubleheader against Trinity International at 11 AM & 2:30 PM CST.
Game one
*McDonald tossed five innings of work, allowing only one run and striking out three.
*The offense got things going in the bottom of the first as
Trevor Campbell's double to left scored
Garrett McIntire for the first run of the 2021 season.
*AU led 3-0 after one inning and maintained their three-run lead through the first four innings of the game.
*After a run from Toccoa in the fifth, Asbury exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth to blow the game wide open.
*Singles from
Colton Back and Matt Baker scored two runs to extend the lead to 7-1. Moments later,
Kaiden Zacharias' RBI triple scored and
Tanner McKee's RBI single to left brough in two more runs for a 9-1 lead.
*For the game, Campbell and
Walker Paris led the Eagles with two hits apiece. McIntire scored a team-best two runs, and Back finished with two RBI.
*The Eagles posted 10 hits in the win and the Eagles' pitchers totaled eight strikeouts and allowed only one earned run.
Game two
*Much like game one, the Eagles immediately jumped out ahead in the top half of the first with four runs.
*Paris' bases clearing three RBI double scored
CJ Compton, Campbell, and Back for a 3-0 lead.
*Paris would touch home plate later in the inning off an error.
*
Alec Lush got the start on the mound and allowed only one earned run through three innings of work.
*Campbell hit the first home run of the year for the Eagles in top of the third to make it 5-1 AU.
*Paris collected his fourth RBI of the day later on in the inning off a single to left.
*Asbury would continue to pour it on finishing the game with 13 runs on 13 hits.
*Campbell was perfect at the plate with a 3-3 effort and three RBI on a double, triple, and HR.
*McIntire, Paris, and Compton each recorded two hits in the victory.
Paul Haupt registered a multi-RBI game with two RBI.
*
Jackson Cole pitched three innings in relief, allowing no runs or hits and striking out four. Freshman
Caleb Poll pitched the final inning of the contest and struck out two.
*Asbury allowed only three hits in the game and combined for seven K's.
