DAVENPORT, Iowa - The Ashford University baseball team's struggles continued in Midwest Collegiate Conference play, falling in a critical doubleheader for postseason position at St. Ambrose University on Wednesday by scores of 8-5 and 4-0.
With seven games remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Saints (13-28, 3-14 MCC) need to finish in the top seven to qualify for the MCC Tournament. AU trails eighth-place Waldorf College by 1.5 games and is three games out from Clarke College in seventh.
Ashford fell to 1-2 in the season series against SAU against a pair of southpaw starters on Wednesday, winning a nine-inning contest, 6-4, in late-March.
The Saints had one more hit than the Fighting Bees in the game one linescore, but fell into an insurmountable hole after a five-run first frame that came with an asterisk due to two fielding miscues.
Justin Brauer clubbed a two-run double and a pair of RBI singles by Jeff Gauley and Garrett Feldhaun had St. Ambrose comfortably out in front.
The Saints eventually figured out SAU lefty starter Logan Frame and would get some of those runs back in the third and fourth innings.
Jake Peters of St. Charles, Ill., had one of his team-high three hits to score junior Adam Wojciechowski of La Salle, Ill., to precede a Cameron Puetz RBI groundout. AU generated two more runs in the fourth, but was held scoreless in the final three innings.
Peters had four combined hits.
Mitch Jankowski of Brownsburg, Ind., tossed five strong innings, charged with just four of the seven runs. He struck out three in his first start since picking up a complete-game win against Purdue University-North Central.
The Saints were blanked in the finale, riding the arm of Fighting Bees' freshman Zach Rohlf, Rohlf went the distance, scattering seven hits and striking out as many.
But the Fighting Bees spoiled a solid start by senior righty J.D. Fabian of Highland, Ind., tagging him for all four runs. Brandon Meyer of Huntley, Ill., retired two batters in relief in the fifth inning.
Puetz had two hits in game two to lead the Ashford offense.
The Saints travel to Mt. Pleasant for a road doubleheader against Iowa Wesleyan College on Saturday afternoon. The first game is set to begin at 2 p.m.
