Ball State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Rallies Late But Falls Short In 8-6 Loss To CMU
April 19, 2008 | Baseball
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. -- The Ball State baseball team rallied late but came up short Saturday in an 8-6 loss in the second game of a weekend series at Central Michigan.
The Cardinals trailed 8-2 through seven innings but posted four runs in the eighth inning to close the gap. Center fielder Wayne Bond Jr. and catcher Alex Schmid each notched one-out singles, and then designated hitter Joe Mack stepped to the plate and rocketed a three-run homer. Outfielder Justin Rogers then singled and later scored on an RBI single from first baseman Matt Stoeklen to cut the Central Michigan lead to 8-6.
Ball State (21-13, 7-4 MAC) the held the Chippewas scoreless in the eighth to give itself a chance, but Central Michigan reliever Chris Kupillas sent the Cardinals down in order in the ninth to end the game.
Kupillas earned the save, while Central Michigan starter Dan Taylor picked up the win. Taylor frustrated the Ball State hitters for most of the game. The left-hander struck out eight batters and did not allow a hit until the seventh inning.
Central Michigan (18-18, 7-6 MAC) started the scoring early and plated at least one run in six of the eight innings in which it came to the plate. The Chippewas jumped on the scoreboard first with a two-RBI single from first baseman Sean Hoorelbeke in the first inning.
Ball State got one run back in the second inning. The Cardinals put runners on first and third with one out on a pair of Central Michigan errors, and second baseman Nate Fields brought home a run on a sacrifice fly to cut the Chippewa lead to 2-1.
Central Michigan built its lead back up to two runs with an RBI double from catcher Dale Cornstubble in the bottom of the second inning. The Chippewas then tacked on two more in the third on an RBI double from third baseman Noah Lankford and a Ball State error, as they built a 5-1 lead.
Central Michigan then extended its lead to 7-1 with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth. The fifth-inning run scored on an RBI single from right fielder Tyler Stovall, while Cornstubble plated the sixth-inning run with a sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play.
The Cardinals then put together a small two-out rally in the seventh inning to plate a run. Rogers doubled to center field for Ball State's first hit of the game, and Fields followed with a run-scoring single to cut Central Michigan's lead to 7-2.
Rogers led Ball State with two hits in the contest, while Mack's three RBI were a game-high.
The Chippewas tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh inning before Ball State's four-run eighth.
Taylor allowed six runs -- five earned -- in 7.2 innings of work for Central Michigan. Cornstubble led the Chippewas at the plate with a pair of hits and RBI.
Ball State and Central Michigan will close out their three-game weekend series with the final game Sunday at 1 p.m.
