RICHMOND, Ind. — Asbury (5-5, 0-0 CCS) took a lead into the late innings, but a go-ahead seventh-inning home run and a four-run eighth from Earlham (2-1, 0-0 HCAC) turned the game in favor of the Quakers as the Eagles dropped an 8-3 decision on Wednesday afternoon.

The Eagles controlled the early momentum, jumping in front with two runs in the top of the first inning and extending the advantage to 3-1 by the fourth. Earlham chipped away with single runs in the third and fourth to pull even, then seized the lead for good on Dylan Rieck's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. The Quakers then broke the game open in the eighth, turning a one-run contest into an 8-3 final.

Asbury's offense struck quickly in the opening frame. After setting the table, the Eagles cashed in as Josh McNulty delivered an RBI single to start the scoring. Avery Hare followed with another run-scoring single, giving Asbury an early 2-0 cushion on the road. The Eagles continued to apply pressure on the bases throughout the afternoon, finishing with four stolen bases and eight hits while drawing four walks.

Earlham answered in the third when Rieck doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Noah Wagster to cut the deficit to 2-1. Asbury pushed the margin back to two runs in the top of the fourth, with Edison Burke lining an RBI single to make it 3-1. The Quakers responded in the bottom half, however, using a double from Mitchell Roether and a sequence involving Noah Rosato's RBI single to push across two runs and tie the game at 3-3.

The game remained deadlocked until the seventh, when Rieck struck again. The Earlham standout, who finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run, two runs scored and an RBI, drove a solo shot to right field to give the hosts their first lead at 4-3. Asbury was held off the board over the final five innings despite multiple baserunners, leaving nine men stranded on the afternoon.

Earlham put the contest out of reach in the eighth. Wagster, who went 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a sacrifice fly, doubled home a run to extend the lead. Jackson McFarland added a two-run, unearned home run to cap a four-run inning and create the 8-3 margin. Earlham finished with eight runs on eight hits and two errors, while Asbury posted three runs on eight hits with two errors.

Burke led the Eagles' attack, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base as Asbury matched Earlham in the hit column and showed aggressiveness on the bases. The Eagles also recorded four steals in the loss.

Samuel Marshall started on the mound for AU, tossing four innings and striking out three. Brady Robeson followed Marshall out of the pen going three innings for the Eagles.

Asbury will host Muskingum on Friday afternoon at 4 PM, for their first game at Cecil Zweifel Field


* Edison Burke | 3-5, RBI, SB
* Cam Weaver | 2-4
* Avery Hare | 1-4, RBI
* Andrew Billington | 1-5
* Josh McNulty | 1-4, RBI
* Samuel Marshall | 4 IP, 3 K