Milford alumna aims to stay sharp for senior season

MILFORD – Ashland University redshirt senior Sarah Alley still keeps in touch with her former coaches Christy and Tim Gregory.

She also keeps in touch with the skills that made her an elite player in the Cincinnati area, as well as the mindset she learned from her days as a Milford Eagle.

"Christy and Tim talked a lot about keeping the game fun," Alley said. "Hitters are going to hit and pitchers are going to throw strikes and record outs. I've always tried to keep the game fun."

Last season was a lot of fun for Alley and her Ashland Eagle teammates. The team recorded two lengthy winning streaks. One was 12 games and the other was 11. They finished the season with a 39-10 record.

Alley didn't get to hit as much as she had in previous years because one of her teammates who took a year off returned to the roster. In her 47 at-bats, she collected 15 hits and drove in nine.

On the mound, she was one of the team's go-to pitchers. She said, at one point, she was 12-0 with an ERA under 1.00.

She finished the season with a 12-3 record with 87 strikeouts and a 2.18 ERA, the second-lowest on the team.

The Eagles carried their regular season success into the playoffs when they advanced to the regionals. After winning the first game, they lost to Indianapolis and Trevecca Nazarene.

With her final year of eligibility left, she lost her first year to a foot injury, Alley is hoping to take the team deeper into the tournament.

"Even though I was considered a junior, I had a senior role on the team," she said. "I think that allowed me to gain the respect of my teammates. I've got one more year left with them and it would be awesome to go the super-regional or College World Series. I just want to leave it out there on the field."