Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Baseball Scores In Ninth To Defeat Eastern Michigan Friday
May 02, 2008 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State baseball team earned an important come-from-behind victory with a 7-6 win over Eastern Michigan Friday at Ball Diamond.
The Cardinals trailed 6-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning before rallying for a pair of runs. Catcher Zach Dygert led off the inning with his seventh home run of the season to quickly tie the game at 6-6. Ball State then loaded the bases on a single from designated hitter Kolbrin Vitek, an intentional walk and a hit batter. Second baseman T.J. Baumet then stepped to the plate with one out and singled to left center field to plate the winning run.
Baumet and Vitek led the Cardinals offensively with three hits each. Six other Ball State players recorded a hit in the game, and seven different Cardinals notched one RBI apiece.
Reliever Tom Mueller earned the win for Ball State (25-16, 10-6 MAC) after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Robert Wendzicki took the loss for Eastern Michigan. Cardinals' starter Tyler Pritchard took a no-decision after allowing three runs on six hits in six innings.
Friday's game started one hour late because of rain. The rain finally stopped, but the wind continued to blow out at Ball Diamond, helping the teams combine for eight home runs. All eight of the homers were of the solo variety.
Ball State third baseman Matt Stoeklen belted one of those solo shots in the second inning to start the scoring and put the Cardinals ahead 1-0. Eastern Michigan center fielder Kyle Rhoad matched Stoeklen in the third inning with a home run of his own to knot the game 1-1.
After a solo shot for each team in the fourth inning kept the game tied, Eastern Michigan (16-28, 11-5 MAC) snagged a brief 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a home run from shortstop Jim Gulliver.
Ball State then quickly grabbed the lead back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Baumet led off the inning with a double and came home to score on an RBI single from shortstop Dean Anna. Two batters later, after stealing second base, Anna scored on an RBI single from first baseman Justin Rogers to put the Cardinals on top 4-3.
The back-and-forth nature of the game continued in the seventh inning. Eastern Michigan plated two runs in the top of the inning to re-take the lead at 5-4, but Ball State countered with a solo shot from center fielder Wayne Bond Jr. in the bottom half to even the score at 5-5. Bond's home run was his 11th of the season, tying him for the team lead.
Eastern Michigan took its final lead in the eighth inning on Rhoad's second solo homer of the game. The Eagles then held Ball State without a run in the eighth before the Cardinals' ninth-inning rally decided the contest.
Rhoad led Eastern Michigan at the plate with three hits, and his two RBI were a game-high.
With the win, Ball State moves within a game of the MAC West-leading Eagles. The two teams will meet again Saturday at 1 p.m. in the second game of the three-game weekend series.
