Ashland, Ohio – Freshman Brandon Haczynski (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) had a solid start, but it was not enough as the Purdue Northwest baseball team gave up a 3-0 lead and fell 4-3 to Ashland University (Ohio) on a walk-off double in the first game of its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) series Friday at Tomassi Stadium in Ashland, Ohio. Haczynski threw 6.2 innings Friday and allowed three hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks with six strikeouts.

After five scoreless innings to start the game, PNW got on the scoreboard scoring a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. The first run came following a throwing error after a single up the middle by sophomore Alex Batistatos (Hobart, Ind./Hobart). The second run came on a RBI off a sacrifice hit by freshman Darius Kendall (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville). Sophomore Hunter Thorn (Portage, Ind./Portage) put the Pride up, 3-0, in the top of the seventh with a RBI on a fielder's choice. 

However in the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles tied the game scoring three runs on a pair of RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly. PNW had its chances leaving a runner stranded at second base in the top of the eighth and a runner at third base in the top of the ninth. Ashland opened the bottom of the ninth with a single to right field and moved the runner to second base on a sacrifice bunt before winning the game with a RBI double to right centerfield. Freshman Chad Patrick (Hebron, Ind./Hebron) suffered the loss (3-3) in relief of Haczynski. Patrick threw the final 1.2 frames and gave up three hits, one run (earned) and no walks.

Purdue Northwest (14-16 overall/6-10 GLIAC) continues its conference series against the Ashland University Eagles on Saturday, April 21. The two teams match up for a doubleheader (2 7-inning games) with the first game of the pair scheduled for a noon CT start at Tomassi Stadium.