Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Central Michigan
Cards Fall To Central Michigan Friday; Close Season Saturday
May 18, 2007 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team led early in Friday's game versus Central Michigan, but a lack of offensive production doomed the Cardinals in an 8-2 loss at Ball Diamond.
Ball State (19-34, 7-19 MAC) managed only four hits compared to 12 by Central Michigan (35-18, 21-5 MAC) as the Chippewas evened the three-game conference set at one game apiece heading into Saturday's series finale.
Prior to Saturday's contest - at approximately 12:30 p.m. - Ball State will honor its seven seniors with a Senior Day ceremony. The game will follow at 1 p.m. as the Cardinals close out their season.
On Friday, Ball State scored two runs in the first inning but could not manage any additional runs over the final eight frames. Tyler Rogers reached on a first-inning walk and came home to score the first run of the game on an RBI double from Eric Earnhart. The Cardinals later plated another run when Earnhart came home on a fielder's choice ground ball off the bat of Nate Fields.
Along with Earnhart and Fields, the Cardinals' other hits on the day came from Ryan Chenoweth and Wayne Bond.
Central Michigan chipped away at the Ball State lead with a run in the second inning on a Cody Allen RBI single. The Chippewas then took the lead with two fifth-inning runs courtesy of a wild pitch and a Sean Hoorelbeke sacrifice fly.
Central Michigan added two more runs in the sixth inning and tacked on three more in the ninth to open up its lead. Allen, Billy Anderson and Bryan Mitzel led the Chippewas with two hits each, and Hoorelbeke logged a game-high two RBI.
Ball State moved runners to third base in the second and fourth innings and loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but the Cardinals could not come up with a key hit when they needed it.
Dan Taylor earned the win on the mound for Central Michigan, allowing two runs - one earned - on three hits in six innings of work. Jason Brown then came out of the bullpen and allowed just one hit over the final three innings to earn the save.
Richie Fralick took the loss for Ball State. The senior right-hander allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. He also struck out five batters.
