Ball State University
Furman
Baseball Drops Season Opener At Furman In Extra Innings
February 21, 2009 | Baseball
“We played a pretty good ball game today for our first time out on the dirt,” head coach Greg Beals said. “I feel good about how we played but we had an opportunity to win the game. We had a chance to make a couple of defensive plays that would have helped our cause and we couldn't get that big hit when we needed to today. Those are two things we have to accomplish if we want to win close ball games.”
Freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) made a splash in his collegiate debut as he recorded a solo home run in his first career at-bat and reached base three times in the loss. Also, junior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) notched two hits to extend his hitting streak to 17 games dating back to last season.
Furman (1-0) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning against senior right hander Brenden Stines (Granger, Ind./Penn). The Paladins got things goings as Reese Wade, a Wallace Award Watch List member, ripped a one out double into center field. Justin Holloway was able to follow with a single into left center field to score Wade and give Furman a 1-0 lead.
Ball State (0-1) came right back out in the top of the third inning and quickly tied the score against Furman right hander Ian Parry. Nielsen opened the Cardinals' scoring in his first career at bat as he ripped a towering solo home run over the left field wall on a full count pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
The Cardinals continued to press against Parry as sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) singled to center field and redshirt freshman designated hitter Aaron Etchison (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) singled through the right side to put two aboard. After a fly ball moved Baumet to third, senior second baseman Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) flied out deep to right field to drive in Baumet to give the Cardinals their first lead of the season at 2-1.
Furman took the lead back from the Cardinals in the bottom of the fifth inning against left-handed reliever Eric Van Matre (Selma, Ind./Purdue). The Paladins put two aboard with back-to-back singles before Van Matre surrendered a two-run double to left center field by Brian Harrison to put Furman ahead, 3-2.
Ball State responded in the top of the sixth inning against Furman freshman right-handed reliever Bobby Lyne. Sophomore third baseman Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) welcomed Lyne to college baseball as he drove the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for the game-tying home run.
The Cardinal bullpen settled in late in the game as Van Matre, Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfields Central) and Tom Mueller (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) combined to throw three scoreless innings to keep the game tied at 3-3.
Ball State tried to make some noise in the top of the ninth inning after two quick outs as Baumet tripled to deep center field to force Furman into a pitching change. Freshman Stephen Gary was able to come in and quickly get Etchison to pop out to end the Cardinals' threat and leave Baumet on third base.
The Paladins came out in the bottom of the ninth inning and quickly got a base runner on as Mueller walked Campbell Lewis on five pitches. Lewis moved into scoring position with a Furman sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk put two aboard, junior right-hander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind./Lincoln Trail College) came on in relief and recorded two big outs to stifle the Furman threat and send the game into extra innings.
Furman would take advantage of a Cardinal miscue in the bottom of the 10th inning as a fielding error by Fields put the leadoff runner Connor Lind on base. After a single put runners on the corners, Ball State elected to load the bases to set up a force play at any base. Furman had who it wanted at the plate though, as Wade drove a single into left field to score Lind with the game-winning run.
Stines worked four innings in his 26th career start and allowed just one run on four hits as he posted three strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Van Matre was charged with two runs in 1.2 innings of work while Hammons tossed two innings of no-hit baseball. Mueller worked 0.2 innings of scoreless relief and Coombs (0-1) picked up the loss as he allowed an unearned run in 0.2 innings of work.
Parry finished the game after five innings and was charged with two runs on four hits as he struck out six Cardinals in the no decision. Spencer Hale worked 2.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Paladins after Lyn gave up one run in one inning of work. Stephen Gary (1-0) picked up the win as he worked 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball as Furman held Ball State scoreless the final four innings.
The Cardinals will continue their season-opening series against Furman Saturday afternoon as they play a double header against the Paladins at 1 p.m.
####
