HANNIBAL, Mo. - Home runs by Mike Ray of Sycamore, Ill., and Cameron Puetz of Peru, Ill., weren't enough of an offensive surge as the Ashford University baseball team came up short against Hannibal-LaGrange College on Wednesday, falling 6-5 and 20-8 (five innings).

Behind three longballs in game one and another big day from designated hitter Bryant Fernetti, the Trojans successfully avenged a pair of losses to the Saints (12-24 overall) at Alliant Energy Field earlier this season in late March.

The left-handed Fernetti walked three straight times in game one and drove in five runs on four hits in the finale.

Ray led off the day with a solo shot, his second of the year, and his counterpart at the top of the order, HLG center fielder Matt Savage, responded with a leadoff blast in the next inning.

Ashford manufactured a two-run third inning in part to heady baserunning. Junior Roman Davis of Gardnerville, Nev., came across to score on a wild pitch before a two-out RBI base knock from Adam Wojciechowski of La Salle, Ill., plated senior Jordan Wakeley of Freeport, Ill., who was initially hit by a pitch.

Marc Luttrell homered to deep right center to give the Trojans a three-run cushion. AU countered with two runs in their next trip to the plate on RBI's by Ray and Wojciechowski, but were blanked in the final two innings by Julio Navarro.

Luttrell also had a two-run single in the second inning.

Offense wasn't at a premium in game two as both teams combined for 32 hits -- in just five innings.

Ashford fell behind to the tune of a five-run deficit in the first inning, but charged with four runs in the second thanks to respective two-RBI hits by Davis and Ray.

Puetz led off the inning with his team-leading third homer, a shot that carried over the left-field fence.

But Hannibal LaGrange scored a combined 14 runs in the final two innings, plating six runs on seven hits in the fourth stanza.

Tyler Leihenseder ended the game prematurely with a three-run homer as the Trojans tagged Saints' pitching for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth frame.

Ashford hosts Waldorf College tomorrow and Sunday for a critical homestand as postseason play looms ahead. Saturday is featured as Senior Day while Sunday's game will be a nine-inning contest.