Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
UAB
Baseball's Comeback Falls Short In 8-7 Loss At UAB
February 23, 2008 | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Ball State baseball team nearly erased a six-run ninth-inning deficit Friday at UAB, but the Cardinals came up one run short in an 8-7 loss on opening day.
The teams will play the second and third games of the weekend series as a doubleheader Saturday at noon. The final game of the series is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Trailing 8-2 through eight innings Friday, Ball State (0-1) opened the top of the ninth with a single up the middle off the bat of designated hitter Kolbrin Vitek. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases before pinch hitter Shannon McCormick brought home a run on an infield single in his first collegiate at bat.
Second baseman Jeremy Hazelbaker laced a double to center field that scored two runs to cut the UAB lead to 8-5. First baseman Matt Stoeklen followed two batters later with a double of his own to bring in two more runs before the Ball State rally ended one run short.
Hazelbaker and Stoeklen led the Cardinals at the plate with two hits and a pair of RBI each.
UAB starter Mitch Kloskowski earned the win after allowing one run on three hits in 6.0 innings before Ball State got to the Blazer bullpen in the late innings. Ball State starter Tyler Pritchard suffered the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings.
UAB (1-0) got started early Friday and led the entire game. The Blazers put up two runs in the first inning on RBI singles from first baseman Ryan Keedy and center fielder Cody McMurry. UAB then added another run in the second inning on an RBI single from left fielder Phil Bell.
The Blazers tacked on a run in the fourth inning on a Bell sacrifice fly to take a 4-0 lead.
Ball State plated its first run in the fifth inning. Cardinals' right fielder Kory Benbow doubled to lead off the frame and advanced to third base on a deep fly ball from Vitek. Benbow then scored on an RBI groundout from catcher Zach Dygert.
UAB took control of the game with a four-run sixth inning. The Blazers sent eight batters to the plate and were aided by two walks and a hit batter. Keedy singled to score two of the runs, and UAB designated hitter Austin Taylor doubled to bring home the other two.
Ball State managed a run in the seventh inning on a T.J. Baumet RBI infield single to cut into the UAB lead before the ninth-inning rally.
Cardinals' left-hander Tom Mueller pitched 2.0 innings out of the bullpen without having a run charged to him. Freshman right-hander Mitch Massard saw his first collegiate action and recorded an out without allowing a hit.
Vitek and Baumet each recorded hits in their first collegiate games.
