Ball State University Athletics
Softball Drops Wild Battle with the Broncos
April 09, 2006 | Softball
Ball State opened play with four unanswered runs in the first two innings, then surrendered four to Western Michigan. The Cardinals responded with four more runs, only to see their advantage melt away with five in a two-inning span by the Broncos, who ended with a 9-8 home field victory Sunday in Kalamazoo.
Despite the 17 runs, the wild shoot-out included just 14 hits, but eight total errors, including five by Ball State.
Abby Gross plated the first of a career-high five RBI on the day with her sacrifice fly to score Kelli Jeziorski in the top of the first. BSU added three more runs in the second, thanks to two hits -- one by Jeziorski and another by Katie Pilger -- and a costly throwing error by the Broncos resulting in two of the runs.
After one run by WMU in the second and three more in the third to knot the score at 4-4, Ball State cracked the tie in the fourth when Gross collected her first collegiate grand slam home run, marking her third homer of the season. Western Michigan cut its lead to three -- 8-5 -- with one run in the fifth, but then exploded for four runs on three hits plus two BSU miscues in the sixth.
Besides Jeziorksi, Pilger and Gross, Cortney Patteson had a hit for Ball State. Jeziorski scored three runs, while Patteson and Allie Pennock added two more each. Abby Zollman took the loss in a relief role in the sixth inning, where she surrendered four runs -- two of which were earned. Quincy Duran pitched the first five innings and Laura Masch finished the game.
BSU, 9-16 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-Am, is on the road to Notre Dame for a single game Tuesday.
