Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
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Western Michigan
Early Deficit Dooms Cardinals Friday At Western Michigan
April 27, 2007 | Baseball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Ball State baseball team out-hit Western Michigan 12-9 Friday, but the Cardinals wound up on the short end of a 9-5 decision on the road at Hyames Field.
Ball State rallied from an 8-0 deficit in the final four innings, but the Cardinals could not fight all the way back.
Wayne Bond and Eric Earnhart led Ball State with three hits each, while Jeremy Hazelbaker had two hits, and Justin Rogers belted his third home run of the season.
Ball State (15-26, 4-12 MAC) and Western Michigan (14-19, 7-6 MAC) will meet for the second game of this weekend's series at 1 p.m. Saturday. The series finale is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Trailing 8-0 through five innings of Friday's game, Ball State put up three runs in the sixth. After back-to-back one out singles from Bond and Hazelbaker, Earnhart singled to bring home the Cardinals' first run of the game. Matt Stoeklen then doubled to score another run before a Rogers groundout plated the final run of the inning.
The Cardinals later added a run in the eighth on Rogers' home run and one more in the ninth on another RBI single from Earnhart.
Western Michigan's Ethan Hollingsworth earned the win on the mound after allowing three runs in 7.2 innings.
The Broncos provided Hollingsworth with early run support. After scoring one run in the first inning, Western Michigan took control with five runs in the third, highlighted by a Pedro Dager two-RBI single. Of the five runs the Broncos scored in the inning, only one was earned.
Western Michigan added two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to provide some insurance. Zach Gentile led the Broncos with three hits, while Dager and Matt Abro each recorded two RBI.
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