Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Submitted Article

 

Asbury baseball and softball kicked off their seasons this past week. The baseball Eagles traveled for two midweek’s and opened their home season at the University of Kentucky’s Kentucky Proud Park against Rockford. The softball Eagles opened at home against Shawnee State for an afternoon doubleheader.

 

Baseball

 

Despite seven hits and four runs in the first four innings, Asbury (3-2) slipped on opening day of the 2024 season to Centre College (4-0) in Danville, Ky., on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 9-4. In a hit-fest that saw 20 hits combined, Asbury contributed nine but was not able to score after the fifth inning.  Quinn Nobles opened the season with a three-hit night, including a double and scored a run. Andrew Billington had a hit, an RBI, a walk  and scored a run. Noah Brown had one hit with a walk and a run scored. Kaden Dugle had an RBI-single with a walk. Cayden Devine went 1.2 innings with two strikeouts, no hits and no walks. Ryan Yates went an inning with a strikeout and no hits or walks. Noah Comstock had a hit with a run scored. Ethan Cartwright had a hit with a walk. Jacob Smith with 1-1 with a single to right field.

 

Asbury scored 30 total runs to sweep Rockford University (0-3) on Friday’s home-opening three games, hosted by the University of Kentucky at Kentucky Proud Park.

Nobles and Matthew Johnson led AU with nine hits combined, Nobles with five RBIs and Johnson with six hits including two doubles. Asbury won game one by a score of 16-1, game two 4-1, and game three 10-3. Jackson Cole made his opening start of the year with five innings including three strikeouts and no runs. Nobles went 4-7 on the day with a home run, two doubles and five RBIs. Jackson Cole went five innings to start the day with no runs and three Ks for the win. Matthew Johnson went 5-9 with five runs scored, two doubles and three RBIs. Dugle had a 4-6 day with a home run, two doubles and four RBIs. Devine went 6.0 innings in game two with four punch-outs and only one run to grab his first win. Freshman Devin Walker went four innings in his first collegiate start with two strikeouts and two earned runs, earning his first win. Freshman Nathan Kaufman got his first career save with two strikeouts in one inning.

 

After the three-game sweep over Rockford this past weekend Asbury baseball traveled to Oakland City, In., on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for their second road midweek contest in two weeks. The Eagles fell 1-13 to the No. 4 ranked team in the NCCAA on Tuesday afternoon, Oakland City College (13-5).  Noah Brown led AU with two hits and the only RBI and run scored of the game with a solo home run to left center in the top of the fifth. Nobles continued his offensive success with another hit, taking him to eight in five games. Freshman Aaron Beaman got the first extra-base hit of his career with a double down the left field line in the top of the seventh. Eli Wilder had four strikeouts out of his six outs received.

 

Softball

 

Asbury senior Taylor Enlow and freshman Samantha Bottom each had doubles on opening day but AU softball (0-2) dropped the doubleheader in Wilmore to Shawnee State, 0-4 and 0-12. Junior right-hander Josie Deatherage went a complete seven innings in her first start of the season, allowing only three earned runs with no walks and two strikeouts. Freshman Katelyn Bolin has a base-hit in her first career collegiate game. Kaitlyn Wilson had a stolen base on opening day.