Ball State University Athletics
BSU 9, Evansville 2
March 08, 2006 | Baseball
The Cardinals looked good at the start, notching three straight singles to load the bases, but a pop out and two short groundouts ended any threat at the top of the first.
Freshman pitcher Ryan Schmidt (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont) made his first career start, escaping the first inning with no runs after he started with a walk and bunt single against him.
In the second, senior center fielder Mike Sullivan (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) singled to right field to end BSU's 11-inning scoring drought as he drove in senior left fielder Chris Pestle (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon), who reached on a walk. Senior catcher Matt Singleton (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) singled up the middle to clear the bases of Sullivan and senior right fielder Brian Meyer (Archbold,Ohio/Archbold), who hit an infield single. After two innings, the Cardinals led 3-0.
Ball State added three more runs in the top of the third as senior first baseman Brad Miller (Muncie, Ind./Central) opened the inning with a single to left-center and reached second on passed ball. Redshirt-sophomore designated hitter Justin Rogers (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) walked and Pestle hit an infield single. Meyer drove Miller in and reached first on an error by the shortstop, followed by an RBI sac fly to right field by junior Matt Gard (Muncie, Ind./Central). Sullivan closed out the Cardinals' scoring by knocking in Pestle, giving BSU a 6-0 lead after three.
Evansville got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Andy Smith lined a single into left field to drive in the first Purple Ace run of the game. After loading the bases with a walk, Schmidt left the game with two outs in the fourth after surrendering four hits, three walks and one unearned run. Senior Kory Bucklew (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) entered as a reliever and got some help from Miller at first base with a diving snag for the third out.
Giving the Cardinals a 7-1 lead in the fifth, junior third baseman Eric Earnhart (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) scored on an error by the Evansville second baseman that also allowed Meyer to reach first. Earnhart hit a double off the pitcher's leg to get on and moved to third on a groundout by Pestle.
The Purple Aces added another run in the bottom of the sixth as Kirk Bacsu reached on a bunt single, then advanced to second on a sac bunt. A throwing error by BSU's Gard scored Bacsu from second.
Ball State improved its lead to 8-2 on an RBI single by Gard in the top of the seventh, driving Earnhart across the plate. Gard moved to second on the throw home, advanced to third on an infield single by Sullivan and then scored on a mishandling of Singleton's popup to give the Cardinals a 9-2 lead.
Sophomore pitcher Tyler Pritchard (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) came on in the bottom of the seventh and, after giving up a double, retired the side. Bucklew finished 2.1 innings with one strikeout, one hit, one walk and one unearned run. Pritchard went one inning, striking out one batter and giving up one hit. Freshman Adam Quinn (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) saw his first collegiate action in the eighth inning and finished the game with two innings pitched, one strikeout and one hit. Bucklew (1-0) picked up his 10th career win.
The Cardinals travel to Minneapolis, Minn., this weekend for the Metrodome Tournament with games against Illinois State Friday at 1 p.m., Minnesota Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Vermont Sunday at 10 a.m.
