Ball State University
Kent State
Pritchard Shines In Baseball's 10-2 Win Friday At Kent State
March 28, 2008 | Baseball
KENT, Ohio -- The Ball State baseball team opened Mid-American Conference play Friday with a 10-2 win over Kent State at Schoonover Stadium.
The Cardinals (10-9, 1-0 MAC) scored in the top of the first inning and led wire-to-wire on the way to defeating the MAC preseason favorite.
Tyler Pritchard made the start for Ball State and shut down the Kent State bats in his best start of the season. Pritchard pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering five hits while striking out three and walking just one. The senior right-hander faced more than four batters in only one inning on his way to earning his first win of the season.
Only one Kent State baserunner reached third base against Pritchard, and only four runners reached second base against him.
While Pritchard turned in a dominant performance on the mound, Ball State center fielder Wayne Bond Jr. was the game's offensive star. Bond reached base in three out of his five at bats and notched five RBI.
It was Bond who gave the Cardinals the lead early. After shortstop Dean Anna was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, Bond went deep over the left field wall for his team-best fifth home run of the season to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Other than Bond's homer, the teams were locked in a pitchers' duel for the first six innings. After the first inning, Kent State starter Brad Stillings matched Pritchard scoreless inning for scoreless inning until the seventh.
The Cardinals broke through for three runs in the seventh inning to build a more comfortable 5-0 lead. Ball State loaded the bases with one out before Anna brought home the first run of the inning on an RBI groundout. Bond then notched his third and fourth RBI of the day on a single to left center field.
Kent State (8-11, 0-1 MAC) managed its first run of the game -- an unearned run -- in the eighth inning to cut Ball State's lead to 5-1. Ball State, however, put the game out of reach with five runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Cardinals collected three hits in the inning and had the help of a Kent State error and three walks.
Designated hitter Nate Fields joined Bond with two hits in the game, while Anna, catcher Zach Dygert and right fielder Ryan Chenoweth also logged hits for the Cardinals.
Kent State center fielder Jared Bartholomew led the Golden Flashes offensively with two hits and an RBI. Stillings went 6.2 innings on the mound and allowed two earned runs and five runs total. Stillings logged eight strikeouts.
With the victory, Ball State has now won three straight games over Kent State at Schoonover Stadium. The last time the Cardinals were at Kent State, they defeated the Golden Flashes in two straight games to win the 2006 MAC Tournament.
The Cardinals had been slated to open MAC action last weekend Akron, but the series was snowed out. The second game of this weekend's series is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.
