Ball State University Athletics
BSU 4, Ohio 3 (Game One); Ohio 4, BSU 3 (Game Two)
April 08, 2006 | Baseball
FRIDAY'S GAME
The Cardinals scored one run in the bottom of the first inning as senior center fielder Mike Sullivan (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) singled up the middle to drive in junior Eric Earnhart (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana).
Following a 45-50 minute weather delay with one out in the bottom of the second, redshirt-sophomore right fielder Justin Rogers (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) tripled to right centerfield on the first pitch back. Senior left fielder Chris Pestle (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) knocked a single up the middle to score Rogers from third base and give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Ohio cut the lead in half in the top of the third as Jon Vondrell hit a sac fly to right field, driving in Bryant Witt from third.
The Bobcats scored two more to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth following a Witt single to right center. Witt drove in Brandon Besl from first and advanced to third base on an error. Matt Stiffler posted a single to left center, driving in Witt from third.
The game was suspended during junior DH Matt Gard's (Muncie, Ind./Central) at bat, with a 1-2 count, two outs and Pestle on first base.
Redshirt-sophomore Ben Snyder (Bellevue, Ohio/Bellevue) took the mound for his eighth start of the season. Snyder pitched six complete innings, posting five strikeouts while walking five, allowing six hits and two earned runs.
Junior Richie Fralick (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) pitched in the top of the seventh, allowing just one hit and walking two batters before the game was suspended.
The game picked back up a few minutes before 1 p.m. on Saturday, as Gard singled to right field, moving Pestle to third base. Earnhart hit another single to right field to drive in Pestle and freshman pinch runner Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) and give BSU its 4-3 lead.
Fralick (1-0) picked up his first win of the year during his one inning, while redshirt-sophomore Kyle Heyne (Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater) earned his fifth save of the season. Heyne pitched one inning and gave up just one hit.
SATURDAY'S GAME
Senior first baseman Brad Miller (Muncie, Ind./Central) drove in senior catcher Matt Singleton (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) on two separate occasions for Ball State's first two runs of the game.
In the first inning, Miller singled through the left side to drive in Singleton, after Singleton singled and Sullivan reached on a fielder's choice. During the third inning, Miller hit a sac fly to centerfield to drive in Singleton from third.
Ohio scored all four of its runs in the fourth inning, the first coming after three straight singles as Anthony Gressick knocked in Stiffler. Dusty Hammond scored on a Willie Walker single through the right side, then Gressick scored on a Hayden Johnston fielder's choice. The eventual deciding run came on a sac fly to left field by Jared Willis, scoring Walker.
Redshirt-sophomore right fielder Justin Rogers (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) extended his hitting streak to 11 games by drilling his first career home run over the right field wall in the eighth, but it wasn't enough to bring the Cardinals back.
Sophomore pitcher Tyler Pritchard (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) suffered the loss after going 5.1 innings. Pritchard allowed three earned runs on six hits, while striking out four batters. After surrendering the first run, he left the game with two baserunners still on.
Ball State closes out its series with Ohio Sunday with a 1 p.m game at Ball Diamond.
