Ball State University
Indiana State
Anna Blasts Three Homers, Cardinals Win In Extra Innings
April 15, 2008 | Baseball
By Andrew Lentz
ballstatesports.com
MUNCIE, Ind. ? Right fielder Ryan Chenoweth hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to propel the Ball State baseball team to a 14-13 victory versus Indiana State at Ball Diamond on Tuesday afternoon.
Chenoweth went 3-for-5 at the plate, while recording four runs and one RBI. Shortstop Dean Anna was impressive as well, hitting three timely home runs and collecting six RBI.
The two teams combined for just six runs through six innings before an offensive shootout began in the top of the seventh.
Trailing 4-2, the Sycamores utilized six hits and two errors to score seven runs and take a commanding 9-4 lead.
Ball State, however, quickly responded in the bottom of the seventh. After left fielder Kory Benbow led off the inning with a triple, an error allowed designated hitter Kolbrin Vitek to reach first, and Benbow scored to cut the lead to 9-5.
A double by Chenoweth then put two runners in scoring position, and Vitek was able to score on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Joe Mack. Another double from second baseman Jeremy Hazelbaker set the stage for Anna's second home run of the day, which put the teams at a stalemate at 9-9 heading into the eighth inning.
The top of the eighth featured a three-run home run by ISU center fielder Chris Schmidt as the Sycamores (10-21) plated a total of four runs to put the pressure back on the Cardinals, taking a 13-9 advantage.
BSU (20-11) displayed resiliency in the bottom of the eighth, responding with four runs of their own on a pair of two-run home runs from Mack and Anna. Anna's blast was his third of the game and eighth of the season.
“A couple of our errors in that seventh inning helped to fuel them,” said head coach Greg Beals. “But fortunately we were able to overcome it with our bats.”
Neither team registered a hit in the ninth inning, and the Sycamores went hitless in the top of the extra inning before Chenoweth's sixth home run of the season kept the Cardinals undefeated at 2-0 in extra-inning games.
“There's no better feeling in all of baseball than to have a true walk-off home run,” said Beals.
Kyle Heyne (3-1) picked up the win for the Cardinals. Heyne pitched the final two scoreless innings, holding the Sycamores without a hit and striking out one.
Chad Dawson (0-1) pitched 1.2 innings and lost his first game of the season for ISU.
The Cardinals are on the road Wednesday to face in-state rival Indiana at 3 p.m.
