WILMORE, Ky.--- Asbury baseball (4-7) completed their three-game home series with No. 3 ranked Concordia - Ann Arbor (11-1) on Tuesday with a doubleheader in Wilmore, Ky. Despite a strong Holton Handel start in game one for AU, Concordia took the opener 5-0 and then followed it up with an 8-0 win in game two to sweep the series.
Asbury sophomore right hander Handel gave his best start of the season so far, going 5.0 innings against Concordia's impressive offense. Handel was through four with no runs allowed before Concordia used a two-run home run for their first runs of the game. Holten allowed only five hits and struck out three.
Concordia's offense scored 13 runs on the day with 19 hits combined. They have scored at least five runs in every game this season.
The Cardinal pitching staff proved to be trouble for AU, holding the Eagles to no runs on the day and only five hits. Concordia's defense backed up the staff with no errors on the day, Asbury committing four.
Game One
Left handed sophomore Bryon Mane pitched a complete game two-hit shutout for Concordia with seven strikeouts. Mane received his first win of the season with the performance.
Pierce Quiroga came out of the bullpen for Asbury in his first career appearance for the Eagles. The freshman from Dallas, Tx., went one inning with one earned run.
Things were all tied at zero through the first four innings of the game, a pitchers dual between Handel and Mane. Concordia broke the tie in the fifth off a two-out home run from Fleming, his second in two days to score two runs.
The Cardinals added one in the sixth and two in the seventh to extend their lead to 5-0.
Asbury's offense could not get to Mane as their two hits came from
Jackson Cole and
Ethan Cartwright in the game.
Game Two
Asbury started
Ethan Cartwright on the mound in the final game of the series, his second start of the season. Cartwright went two innings with four strikeouts and no earned runs in his most solid start of the year.
Concordia started sophomore right hander Drew Murphy in his fourth start of the year. Murphy went three innings with a strikeout and no runs allowed.
Timothy Pomaville followed Murphy and pitched six complete scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out three. Pomaville earned his first win of the year for his performance.
Junior Asbury left hander
Caleb Poll provided a solid scoreless inning for the Eagles and received a strikeout.
Concordia struck early in game two with a two-out run in the first, going ahead 1-0. The Cardinals added two more two-out runs in the third, powered by Jordan Sherman's RBI single.
Asbury's offense could not get to Pomaville as he held AU scoreless for their second straight game.
Concordia added three more in the seventh and two in the ninth to complete the series sweep over AU with an 8-0 game three win.
Asbury moves to 4-7 on the year after hosting the NCCAA 2022 World Series Champion Concordia - Ann Arbor at their home field. AU will look forward to bouncing back with another upcoming home series this coming weekend against Wright State Lake Campus.
* Concordia's defense committed no errors on the day
* Asbury's offense only managed five hits
*
Holten Handel went five innings, four of those scoreless
*
Holten Handel | 5.0 IP, 3 SO, 2 ER
*
Caleb Poll | 1.0 IP, 0 ER, SO
*
Pierce Quiroga | First appearance as Asbury Eagle
Asbury will host Wright State University - Lake Campus College this weekend at home, starting with a doubleheader Saturday at 12 pm.
* For the latest information on Asbury Athletics follow us @asburyeagles on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
* Watch our all TeamAU home games live at Asbury Sports Digital Network
* Use the links attached to the team schedules to watch live or follow live stats
