(XENIA, Ohio) – In its GLIAC Tournament debut, No. 5 Walsh outlasted No. 2 Ashland in the opening game by a 12-10 score at Grady's Field. The Cavaliers (27-24) scored all 12 runs in the fifth inning on and took advantage of five errors to defeat the Co-GLIAC Champion Eagles (31-19) for the third time in five games this season.

Walsh will now play the winner of final game today between No. 3 Malone and No. 4 Wayne State tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. The Cavs took the season series from the Pioneers 3-1 and defeated the Warriors in two non-conference, neutral site games.

Ashland jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Walsh bats finally started to heat up in the fifth inning. Brook Clark led off the frame with a walk and eventually scored on a James Thomas single to center. The Cavs eventually took the lead with three runs on the next three plays. Jason McPeek continued the rally to score Eric Conner, Tyson Lautanen hit a sacrifice fly to score Thomas, and Luke Caple singled through the right side to bring in McPeek.

After the Eagles regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, Walsh added another four-spot in the sixth. Caple highlighted the inning with a two RBI single to center to score Thomas and Conner. Johnny Knight IV and Clark scored earlier inning thanks to RBI at-bats from Thomas and Lautanen.

In the eighth, the Cavs took full advantage of another Eagles error as a bad throw by the third baseman with two outs and the bases loaded was high and allowed Lautanen and McPeek to score and gave Walsh a 10-6 lead.

Ashland wasn't done, however, as it rallied for four runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth.

Walsh refused to be denied though and came through with two runs in the ninth. Clark initially reached on another error and advanced to second on a bunt single by Conner. After Joey Beals substituted in for Clark as a pinch runner, McPeek provided the late game offensive heroics with a double to left center to score Conner and Beals.

All-GLIAC Honorable Mention Lautanen, who took the hill in the eighth, finished out the game with a scoreless ninth to win his first decision in his longest appearance of the season.

McPeek, who was named a First Team All-GLIAC selection last night, went 2-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored, and a walk. Caple, also a First Team All-GLIAC selection, went 3-for-6 and added to his GLIAC-leading RBI total with three. He now has 60 on the season. Thomas was also solid at the bottom of the order as he was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.