Ball State University
Indiana Tech
Bond Lifts Cardinal Baseball To Victory Over Indiana Tech
April 10, 2007 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - In a pitcher's duel Tuesday, the Ball State baseball team used a run in the first inning and a run in the last to bookend a 2-1 victory over Indiana Tech in 10 innings.
The Cardinals (13-18) and the Warriors (20-7-1) combined for 27 strikeouts, including a season-high 12 from Ball State starter Brenden Stines on a cool afternoon at Ball Diamond.
The Cardinals return to action Wednesday at 3 p.m. when they host IPFW.
Wayne Bond led the Cardinals at the plate Tuesday and was one of only two players in the game to record two hits. Bond picked up both RBI for Ball State, including the game-winning hit on a bases-loaded single to left field in the bottom of the tenth inning.
"Wayne got a big hit there in the tenth," Ball State coach Greg Beals said. "He did a good job for us today and got two clutch RBIs."
While Bond proved to be the hero, Tyler Rogers played an important role, as well. It was Rogers who preserved the tie game with a strong defensive play in the top of the tenth inning. With two outs and a runner on third base, the freshman made a diving play on a ground ball at second base and fired the ball to first for the third out.
"That's a huge play out there by Tyler," Beals said. "If we don't finish that play, they score the go-ahead run, and we're probably still out there playing."
Rogers ? who had entered the game as a pinch runner three innings earlier ? then got the Cardinals going in the bottom of the tenth with a leadoff single. He moved to second base on a Joe Mack sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. Following back-to-back intentional walks to load the bases, Bond singled Rogers home.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2-2 against teams from Indiana and have the opportunity to better that mark again in Wednesday's contest with IPFW.
Aaron Hammons, who took the mound in the final inning Tuesday, earned his first win of the season for Ball State after throwing a scoreless tenth.
Stines ? making his first midweek start of the year after his outing Friday at Ohio was cut short by weather ? threw six solid innings but wound up with a no-decision. He allowed just two hits and no runs. Stines struck out the side twice and at one point struck out seven of eight Warrior batters.
The Cardinals scored their first run of the game on a first-inning single up the middle by Bond that scored Eric Earnhart from second base. Bond's two hits extended his hitting streak to nine games, matching the longest streak for a Cardinal this season. He also stole two bases on the day.
Indiana Tech's lone run came in the seventh inning on a solo home run off the bat of Robert Hitchens.
