Ball State University
Bethune-Cookman
Baseball Comes From Behind To Beat Bethune-Cookman
March 11, 2007 | Baseball
CONWAY, S.C. ? The Ball State baseball team closed out the Myrtle Beach Hyundai Isuzu Classic Sunday with an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over Bethune-Cookman.
The Cardinals used a big five-run seventh inning to take the lead and held on to improve to 4-9 on the season. Bethune-Cookman fell to 6-14 with the loss.
First baseman Matt Stoeklen led Ball State with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate and a season-high four RBI. Justin Rogers reached base three times for the Cardinals, picking up two hits and drawing a walk.
In the game-changing fifth inning, Kory Benbow got things started for Ball State with a solo home run to center field to cut Bethune-Cookman's two-run lead to one at 4-3. Later in the inning, Wayne Bond reached on an error on a hard hit ball that scored Zach Dygert from second base to tie the game. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Stoeklen cleared them with a three-run double to give Ball State a 7-4 lead.
Bethune-Cookman fought back with two runs in the top of the eighth inning, but Ball State added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a Joe Mack RBI single.
Ball State closer Kyle Heyne, who had entered the game in the eighth inning, retired Bethune-Cookman in the ninth inning to close out the game and earn his third save.
Starting pitcher Ryan DeGeeter earned the win, his second straight, to improve his record to 2-2. The reigning MAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Week, DeGeeter threw 7.0 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits while striking out four.
After a scoreless first inning, both teams put up one run in the second. Bethune-Cookman started the scoring with an Angel Negron solo home run. Ball State answered in the bottom of the inning when Dygert brought Matt Gard home from second base on an RBI single to center field.
Bethune-Cookman took the lead back with two runs in the fourth inning. Angel Mercado led off the inning with a solo home run for the Wildcats. Chris Henault later walked, advanced to second on a bunt and came home to score on a Chris Brown single, giving Bethune-Cookman a 3-1 lead.
Ball State got one run back in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run from Stoeklen. The blast over the left center field wall was Stoeklen's second homer of the weekend.
In the sixth inning, Bethune Cookman extended its lead back to two runs on a sacrifice fly from Henault. The Wildcats took that 4-2 lead into the seventh inning before Ball State grabbed the advantage.
The Cardinals return to action Tuesday at 3 p.m. with the first of two midweek games at Wake Forest.
