Ball State University Athletics
Baseball Scores Seven Unanswered Runs in 10-9 Win Over KSU
April 15, 2006 | Baseball
The Cardinals scored seven unanswered runs – four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth – to take their first lead of the series with two outs in the eighth inning.
The Golden Flashes posted three runs in the first inning, with Kurt Eichorn's single to right field driving in Emmanuel Burriss from second base for the first run. Eichorn later scored on an RBI single up the middle by Todd Balduf and KSU added its third run on an infield hit by Jason Patton, knocking in Andrew Davis from third.
Kent State added two runs in the second as Davis hit a double into left center field that was lost in the sun by senior left fielder Chris Pestle (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon), enabling Eichorn and Burriss to score.
BSU sat down in order the first two innings before junior designated hitter Matt Gard (Muncie, Ind./Central) singled to center field with two outs in the third. Junior shortstop Eric Earnhart (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) used the sun to the Cardinals' advantage as he posted a double to left field, which the Golden Flashes' left fielder misplayed. Senior catcher Matt Singleton (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) walked to load the bases, but the third out came too soon for Ball State without a run.
Chris Tremblay doubled to left center to score Will Vazquez from first and move the score to 6-0 after three.
In the fourth, senior second baseman Kyle Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) doubled to right center, driving in senior first baseman Brad Miller (Muncie, Ind./Central) for Ball State's first run of the game.
Kent State's Drew Saylor singled to right to open the bottom of the fourth, and then Eichorn drilled a home run over the right field wall to push the score to 8-1.
The Cardinals managed two runs in the fifth as Gard scored on a dropped fly ball to right – sent by Singleton – and Earnhart crossed the plate on Miller's groundout to shortstop.
KSU added one run in the sixth as Davis scored on a sac bunt by Vazquez, following two Ball State errors in the inning.
Ball State loaded the bases in the top of the seventh for redshirt-sophomore right fielder Justin Rogers (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham), who cleared them with a grand slam over the right field fence to cut the score to 9-7. It was the first slam of the season for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals scored three runs to take their first lead of the series in the top of the eighth. Singleton drove in Dygert and Pestle with a double to the right field gap and senior center fielder Mike Sullivan (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) singled down the left field line to score Singleton from second.
Sullivan extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 2-for-5 today.
Junior Richie Fralick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) (2-0) pitched one inning in relief, allowing just one hit and walking one batter for the win.
Redshirt-sophomore Kyle Heyne (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater) entered the game with a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth and closed the final two innings for his sixth save of the season.
The series finale is slated for 1 p.m. tomorrow at Schoonover Stadium.
