Ball State University
LSU
Ball State Battled #7 LSU; Start Season 0-2
February 16, 2008 | Softball
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Ball State softball team dropped a pair of games to open the 2008 season. The Cardinals fell to #7 LSU 4-2, and then lost to Nicholls State 5-4.
In game one LSU took a quick lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ball State responded to tie the game in the third inning as senior Abby Gross hit a ball out of Tiger Park to erase the early deficit.
Gross finished the game 2-3 with 2 RBI. She is the career home run leader in Ball State history with 16.
Freshman Alicia Barkley scored the other run for BSU in the third inning. Barkley also recorded the first stolen base of the season for the Cards.
Shannon Stein of LSU hit a double in the bottom of the fourth inning allowing Jessica Mouse to advance to third base. With two runners on and one out, Ashley Applegate hit a single up the middle for the Tigers. Freshman Alyssa Collins fielded the ball and threw it home, but it was too late as Mouse was able to score. Applegate tried to advance to second on the play and Stein ran home. Ball State was able to throw both runners out completing their first double play of the season.
Tayl'r Hollis led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a triple for LSU. She went on to score increasing the lead to 4-2 in favor of the Tigers.
Dani Hofer picked up the win on the mound for LSU. Hofer recorded nine strikeouts. Elizabeth Milian took the loss for the Cardinals. Milian threw six innings, recorded two strikeouts and only allowed six hits to #7 LSU.
Ball State found themselves down 2-0 again in game two. Kathyrn Harrell of Nicholls State hit a triple to centerfield allowing Haley Burkett and Leah Bland to score the first two runs of the game.
Ball State scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead. Senior Amanda Pick blasted a triple to right centerfield allowing Katelyn Gunderson and Cassi Olp to score. Collins drove Pick home on a single to leftfield.
Freshman Kate Wilczynski recorded her first career hit as a Cardinal to drive Collins home giving Ball State a 4-2 lead.
The Colonels chipped away at the lead by scoring a run in the fifth inning. They took control of the game in the top of the seventh inning. Kathryn Harrell drove in two runs to lead Nicholls State to victory. Harrell finished the game 4-4 with 4 RBI.
Tiffany Garofano was on the mound for BSU. Garofano threw nine strikeouts but was unable to pick up the win.
The Cardinals return to action Feb. 16 to face UT Chattanooga at 9:00 a.m. and St John's at 11:15 a.m.
