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Baseball finished up their regular season this week by honoring the biggest senior class in ten years. Softball competed six times this week, while track and field went to the University of Kentucky to compete against some of the top schools in the country.

 

Baseball

 

Graduate student Jackson Cole came on in the ninth to raise his school-record save amount on Tuesday night in Wilmore as Asbury baseball (17-14) defeated Mount St. Joseph (14-13) with 10 hits and no errors, 7-6. Eli Wilder, the right-handed grad student, went four innings with six strikeouts and two earned for his third win of the season, tying Jackson Cole for team-lead in wins. Sophomore Quinn Nobles and MBA student Noah Brown combined for four hits and three RBIs.  Matthew Johnson had two hits with two runs scored, an RBI, a double, and a walk (15th multi-hit game this year). Tyler Hewlett hit his first home run of the season. Andrew Billington had a triple, run scored and an RBI. 

 

Senior elementary education major Kaden Dugle and sophomore business admin. major Quinn Nobles powered Asbury baseball (19-14) to a doubleheader sweep over IUPUC (10-37) on Wednesday in Columbus, In., clinching their 2024 postseason berth. AU took game one, 12-6, and game two, 7-4, for their fourth and fifth wins in a row. The Eagles had 25 hits on the day and only two errors, outscoring IUPUC 19-10 overall. Ethan Cartwright had two hits and two innings out of the bullpen with no hits and three strikeouts. Ben Propes went 5.2 innings with seven punch-outs and only two earned runs. Jackson Cole went 3-5 in game two with a run scored. Cam Weaver had two hits in game two. Jacob Parker went three innings with no earned runs in game two. Noah Brown scored three runs in game one and had two RBIs in game two.

 

Freshman right-handed engineering mathematics major Ryan Yates went seven innings with only one run allowed and four strikeouts on Friday night in Wilmore, Ky., but Asbury baseball (19-14) slipped to Wright State Lake University (16-19) in game one of the weekend, 5-0. AU was shutout for the first time this season and held to three hits, their second-lowest amount this season. WSLC had 12 hits while AU committed no errors. Asbury baseball welcomed multiple seven and eight year old Jessamine County Youth Baseball players to stand with the team during the national anthem pregame. Parker Bowles came on in the ninth for one inning of work with no runs and a strikeout. Matthew Johnson, Trevor McNaughton, and Andrew Billington each had singles. Quinn Nobles had three walks.

 

Asbury graduate students Jackson Cole and Matthew Johnson led Asbury baseball (20-15) to their 20th win to end the regular season with an 11-1 win over Wright State Lake University on senior day in Wilmore, Ky., on Saturday afternoon. Cole went 8.1 innings with one run and seven strikeouts for his team-leading fourth win, while Johnson had his 16th double-digit hit game of the season with two hits and three runs scored. AU had seven hits and was flawless on defense with no errors. Kelsey Lang

Asbury celebrated 17 seniors before the game for their commitment and impact on the Asbury baseball program, as well as a first pitch from Asbury Athletic Trainer Kelsey Lang for her service to Asbury Athletics. Caleb Poll, Kaden Dugle, Noah Brown, Jackson Cole, Ethan Cartwright, Matthew Johnson, Jacob Smith, Holten Handel, Colton Perkins, Thomas Wegmann, Josh Head, Eli Wilder, Noah Comstock, Wade Everley, Cameron Crick, Connor Butler were the seniors honored pre-game. Asbury will now prepare to compete in the NCCAA Mideast Region Tournament in early May.

 

Softball

 

Junior intercultural studies major Josie Deatherage’s nine strikeouts in her 13th complete game of the season and junior art major Katilyn Wilson’s four hits were not enough as Asbury softball (11-16) dropped two games to Kentucky State (15-17) in Wilmore on Tuesday night, 5-0 and 4-1. Kaitlyn Wilson had two hits in both games, with a double and the only run scored for AU. Freshman Sidney Hansen pitched a complete game in game two with three earned runs, no walks and two strikeouts. Taylor Enlow went 2-3 in game one with a stolen base. Emily Zink had a double off the left-center wall in game two. Samantha Bottom, Kaylee Korros, and Emma Popplewell also had hits on the day.

 

Asbury softball (11-18) traveled to Grayson, Ky. to take on NCCAA opponent Kentucky Christian University (12-26) for a late-week doubleheader. Asbury’s eight hits on the day were not enough for the KCU offense, putting up 24 hits on AU through the two games, resulting in AU falling both games, 8-0 and 10-6. Samantha Bottom aided in game two, going 2-3 and helping Asbury score their final run of the game. Kaitlyn Wilson and Taylor Enlow were the only two Eagles to find hits in game one. Taylor Enlow pitched game one, throwing 52 strikes out of her 71 pitches. Josie Deatherage pitched game two, recording one strikeout. Kaylee Korros, Josie Deatherage, and Abigail Moffat all had hits on the day.

 

Freshman Abigail Moffat’s four hits combined with junior intercultural studies major Josie Deatherage’s six strikeouts were not enough for AU softball (11-20) to defeat Transylvania (20-7) as the Eagles fell in Saturday’s doubleheader, 6-2 and 13-3. Asbury put up 17 hits on the day against a strong opponent, led by Abigail Moffat with four and Emily Zink with three. AU grabbed two doubles, a triple, and a stolen base on the day.  Taylor Enlow tallied two hits, with an RBI and a run scored. Sidney Hansen pitched 5.0 innings in game two, only allowing one walk.

 

Mens and womens track and field

 

Sophomore intercultural studies major Dan Kersey broke a 40 year school-record in the 3000 meter steeplechase with a 10:16.53 performance on Friday night as Asbury men’s and women’s track and field completed the 2024 regular season in the Jim Green Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Lexington, Ky., hosted by the University of Kentucky. Asbury competed against multiple schools including the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, Purdue, Notre Dame, Indiana, Eastern Kentucky University, and Bellarmine. On day one of the invitational Kersey led the way with his steeplechase performance that broke a school-record from 1983.  AU senior Wes Preston won his heat in the 1500 meter run with a time of 4:16.61. Freshman JoJo Ernst finished close behind in fourth place in a new personal record time of 4:20.84.Asbury sophomore Sarah Yost ran a five-second PR to place seventh in her heat of the 1500 meters race. On day two, the Eagles were led by Brooke O’Carroll (2:28.69) and Lucy Kate Gibson (2:51.25) running Personal Best times in the women’s 800 meter run. Freshman Jason Flaming set a new PR in the 800 meters with a time of 2:02.71. That time was good enough for second place in his heat. Junior Cameron Tapp (2:06.58) and freshman Patrick Taber (2:17.41) also recorded new best in the 800 meter race. Wes Preston finished the weekend with a season’s best performance in the 5000 meters, running a time of 15:45.58.