Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Ends Season With 11-10 Win Over Central Michigan
May 19, 2007 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - A Nate Fields RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Ball State baseball team to an 11-10 season-ending victory over Central Michigan Saturday afternoon at Ball Diamond.
With the win, the Cardinals finish the season with a 20-34 overall record, including an 8-19 mark in Mid-American Conference action. In addition, the victory allowed the Cardinals to capture their second MAC series win of the season, as the held a 2-1 edge in the three-game set with Central Michigan (35-19, 21-6).
Fields' RBI single in the bottom of the 10th also allowed the Cardinals to remain perfect in extra-inning games, as they improved to 5-0 in such contests.
After honoring its seven seniors prior to the start of the contest, the Cardinals wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, sending nine batters to the plate and posting six runs in the opening inning.
Wayne Bond opened frame with a triple to right-center field and scored on a Jeremy Hazelbaker sacrifice fly in the next at bat. With bases loaded three batters later, Fields pushed across two more runs with an RBI single to left field, while freshman Alex Schmid followed with his first career homerun, a three-run blast to center field, giving Ball State a 6-0 advantage.
Central Michigan scored its first run in the top of the second, when Ben Humphrey opened the frame with a triple and scored on a Sean Hoorelbeke RBI groundout, cutting the Ball State advantage to 6-1.
However, the Cardinals answered with two more runs in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead by seven at 8-1. Hazelbaker drove in the first run with an RBI double, while a Matt Stoeklen sacrifice fly drove in Hazelbaker two batters later.
CMU added a run in the top on the third, when Tyler Stovall grounded into a bases-loaded double play. The Cardinals answered back in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI double from Stoeklen, making the score 9-2.
Unfortunately for Ball State, the Chippewas would score four runs in each of the next two innings to erase BSU's seven-point lead and take a 10-9 edge of their own.
The Cardinals were determined to go down fighting, however, tying the game on an RBI single from Bond in the bottom of the seventh, before winning the game in the bottom of the 10th when senior Eric Earnhart scored the game-winning run on Fields' RBI single. Earnhart finished the contest with three walks and two runs scored.
In his final appearance on the mound for the Cardinals, Kyle Heyne picked up his fifth win of the season (5-3), holding the Chippewas scoreless over the final 2.2 innings. Heyne allowed just one hit, while striking out three batters.
Luke Behning also turned in a solid outing in his final appearance on the mound for Ball State, holding CMU scoreless over 1.2 innings while striking out two batters to set up Heyne for the final run.
Bryce Morrow (2-3) suffered the loss for CMU, allowing one run and three hits over the final 2.1 innings.
