QUINCY, Ill. – In their opening game of the 2016 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, the Greyhound baseball team was looking for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2012, taking on the Ashland Eagles in the opening round.
 
A quick start by the Eagles' offense, paired with a dominant performance from their ace spelled trouble for the Greyhounds as Ashland picked up an 8-1 win, forcing the Greyhounds into an elimination game on Friday afternoon.
 
The Greyhounds found themselves in a hole before their first at-bat of the game. Ashland recorded four hits off Jake Shaw and capitalized on a pair of Greyhound errors to open up a 3-0 lead after half an inning of play. The Eagles continued their hot start in the second, getting a two out, two run double from Mackenzie Hampshire to stretch the lead to 5-0.
 
UIndy looked poised to put some runs on the board in the bottom of the second. Brady Thomas led off the inning with a single and Storm Joop and Macy Holdsworth followed that up with walks to load the bases with nobody out. But their rally was extinguished after Devon Hensley struck out and Trevor Forde rolled into a double play, ending the Greyhound threat.
 
Ashland added another run in the third to stretch the lead to six. UIndy got their lone run of the game with two down in the bottom of the third when Alex Ritchie came in to score on a dropped third strike that allowed Kyle Orloff to reach base.
 
But the Greyhounds would struggle to generate offense against Ashland ace Brandyn Sittinger, managing just three base runners from the fourth inning on. Sittinger surrendered just two hits and struck out 14 Greyhounds over eight innings of work, improving to 11-0 on the year.
 
Shaw (5-6) was saddled with the loss for UIndy after allowing six runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts over three innings of work. Connor Mailloux came on in relief and fanned five over the final six innings.

Joop had one of the Hounds' three hits and reached base three times on the night. Thomas and Holdsworth recorded the other two base knocks for the Greyhounds in the game.
 
The loss drops UIndy to 37-20 on the year and sets up a showdown with seventh-seeded Hillsdale on Friday afternoon with the winner earning the right to stay alive in the regional. First pitch from QU Stadium is set for approximately 2:30 p.m..