WILMORE, Ky. --- Asbury kicked off Spring Break by hosting Alfred State College on Monday evening in Wilmore, Ky. The Eagle pitching staff and defense held Alfred State to just 2 runs in the game, with the AU offense coming through to seal the win 9-2. 

Tanner McKee got his first start of the season on the mound for AU and was ready for the call. McKee went 4.0 innings giving up only 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 4 with no walks. McKee was followed by four AU bullpen arms who each provided an inning of work to lead Asbury to their victory. Caleb Poll, Cameron Crick, Nate McClellan, Holten Handel, and Ethan Cartwright all combined for 5.0 innings of work with only 2 earned runs and 10 strikeouts. 

On the offensive side for AU it was the hot bat of Kaiden Zacharias getting things kicked off in the 3rd with a solo shot for his fifth home run in as many games. Alfred State tied the game at 1-1 in the 4th but Tyler Hewlett took the lead back for AU in the bottom half of the 4th with a 2 RBI base knock.

The Eagles continued to tack on runs throughout the game with two in the 5th, two in the 7th, and two in the 8th. A good sign for the Asbury offense to keep the pedal down throughout the game, which ended up in a victory. The Eagles now move to 11-6 on the season as they will look for more with four more games scheduled this week. 

* Tanner McKee made his first start on the mound of the season and it was a solid one, going 4.0 innings with no walks, 4 strikeouts and only 1 earned run

* Kaiden Zacharias went 2-3 with his 5th home run in five games, also with a double, 2 walks and 2 stolen bases

* Noah Brown also had 2 hits in the game with a run scored and an RBI

* Nathaniel Frank and Walker Paris each scored 2 runs a piece in the game, contributing to the AU offense

* The Eagle defense had 0 errors in the game, holding Alfred State to 2 runs

* AU had 5 stolen bases in the game, moving up into scoring position frequently

* The Asbury pitching staff got outs when they needed them the most, leaving 11 Alfred State baserunners on base

"It is always nice to see our team play a clean baseball game like they did tonight. Tanner McKee was incredible for us, making his first start and coming right out ready to roll. We needed that. This team is special and we are continuing to improve each day we have together."

     * Assistant Coach, Colton Back

Asbury will be back at home tomorrow (Tuesday, March 15) to face Berea at 6 PM