By Dylan Hefflinger

BOWLING GREEN- Ashland fell behind big early against No. 28 Maumee, but was able to rally late for an 11-8 victory on Saturday in the Division I district finals at Bowling Green's Carter Park.

The Arrows took advantage of miscues and wildness from Maumee to erupt for 10 runs in the fifth and sixth to overcome an 8-1 deficit. Stetson recruit Adam Schaly started the fifth frame off being plunked in the leg, followed by another hit-by-pitch and walk to load the bases. This brought an end to the day for Billy Laranga.

The unsigned senior had a rollercoaster of a start on the mound, pounding the zone early with a mid-to-upper 80s fastball, but wore down later in the game throwing his fastball in the low 80s to upper 70s.

After a flyout, senior Brock Landrum delivered a two-run double down the first base line. A sac fly and RBI-single from junior Gabe Bradshaw and senior Josh Duewel cut the deficit to 8-5. This all came off of Maumee reliever junior Allen Brown.

A lead-off walk to Northern Kentucky recruit Aric Harris, an infield single from junior Tyson Vogel and an error by the first basemen, who didn't touch first base on a routine grounder to second loaded the bases for Ashland. An RBI walk brought the Arrows within two and Ashland University recruit Derek Ward tied the game on a two-RBI double to the fence in center.

A bizarre play where Laranga fielded a ground ball at short and looked the runner back at third, but never threw it to first loading the bases again. A fielder's choice put one out on the board, but Bradshaw hit a dribbler to Brown on the mound which the pitcher could not corral the ball putting the Arrows on top 9-8.

Ashland tried to add an insurance run on a squeeze bunt, but Duewel missed the bunt leading to senior Zach Berhard getting into a rundown and eventually sliding into home. On the play. Brown got his legs taken out from under him and he was forced to leave the game.

With Maumee now down 9-8, the Panthers chose to bring in their ace junior West Virginia recruit Steve Duby, who had given up just one hit in his past two games in the tournament. But pitching on just two days rest after throwing more than 100 pitches on Thursday, Duby walked the next three batters, bringing in two insurance runs for the Arrows, which now lead 11-8.

Schaly, who relieved Bernhard in the middle of the sixth inning, struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.  The left-hander pumped in his fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s while featuring a nasty, sharp breaking curve at 62-67 mph.

Early on it was all Maumee. The Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first. A lead-off walk Laranga followed by a sac bunt brought Duby to the plate. Duby grounded a ball to short who threw the ball to third to get Laranga, but the Arrows' third basemen couldn't handle the throw while being run over by Laranga. With runners on the corners senior Kurt Weber blasted a two-run double.

After a fly out to left field, Trine University recruit Jason Blair singled to put runners on the corners and sophomore Joe Szymanski drove Weber home on an RBI single. Junior speedster David McCrum came to the plate and delivered a two-RBI triple to right-center to put the Panthers on top 5-0.

Ashland cut the deficit to 5-1 scoring in the bottom half of the inning. A lead-off walk to Harris started the inning and, after a strikeout, walk and passed ball put runners at second and third, Ashland university recruit Steven Mowry drove Harris home on an RBI single to right.

Maumee extended its lead to 8-1 with a two-out two-run blast to left field by Blair in the third and an RBI single from Weber in the fifth.

The Panthers finished ranked No. 28 in the final poll with an 18-10 record for head coach Cam Coutcher.

Ashland, ranked No. 4 in the state, faces off against Oregon Clay (12-14), which knocked off No. 10 Toledo St. John's in the Toledo District semifinals and Sylvania Southview in the district finals. Ashland and Oregon Clay play Thursday at Steller Field at Bowling Green State University at 5 p.m. in the regional semifinals.