Ball State University
Notre Dame
Baseball Falls At Notre Dame, 5-4
March 17, 2009 | Baseball
Sophomore right-hander Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) gave the Cardinals a strong start as he worked five innings and allowed just one earned run. Vitek limited the Irish to five hits and struck out seven batters in the no decision.
Vitek worked out of a jam early as Notre Dame put runners on first and third with no outs in the bottom of the first inning after back-to-back singles. He settled in and got back-to-back strikeouts and induced a line drive to the shortstop to strand both runners on base.
Notre Dame struck first in the bottom of the third inning as left fielder Golden Tate led off the inning with a triple to center field. After an out, Evan Sharpley was able to drive Tate home with a ground ball to first base to put Notre Dame ahead 1-0.
Ball State answered right back in the top of the fourth inning against Notre Dame left-hander Dustin Ispas. Vitek helped his own cause as he led off the inning with a long double to right center field. Ispas was able to get two outs in the inning before freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) drove Vitek home with a run scoring single to center field to tie the game at one apiece.
The Irish took advantage of a Ball State error in the bottom of the fifth inning. Greg Sherry led off the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Vitek was able to get a ground ball to second base but senior Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) committed an error that allowed Sherry to score from second base to give Notre Dame a 2-1 lead.
Ball State responded in the top of the sixth inning as it took its first lead of the game. Fields led off the inning with a walk and after an out junior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) ripped a single to center field to put two aboard. Junior left fielder Kory Benbow (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) put the Cardinals ahead 4-2 as he hit a towering three-run home run over the batter's eye in left center field. The home run is Benbow's team-leading fifth of the season.
Right-handed reliever Brenden Stines (Granger, Ind./Penn) came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning and quickly allowed runners on the corners after a walk and a hit. Dygert came through with a strong defensive effort as he threw out Ryan Connolly trying to steal second to help the Cardinals out of the inning.
Notre Dame tied the game at four apiece with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning as it took advantage of another Ball State error. Sherry led off with a single and Tate put two aboard as he drew a walk against left-handed reliever Tom Mueller (Westfield, Ind./Westfield). The runners moved into scoring position on a throwing error by Dygert as he tried to pick off Sherry at second base. The Irish were able to bring home both base runners on consecutive ground balls to knot the game at 4-4.
The Irish retook the lead with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Jeremy Barnes led off the inning with a single. He moved to second on another single and both runners moved into scoring position on the Cardinals' third error of the game. Cameron McConnell was able to bring the go ahead run home as he recorded a slow rolling infield single to plate Barnes and put Notre Dame ahead 5-4.
Ball State threatened in the top of the ninth inning against Notre Dame closer Steven Mazur as sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led off with a single. Freshman third baseman Tim Issler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) got down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Baumet into scoring position but Mazur was able to record back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Junior right-hander Scott Brothers Jr. (Monticello, Ind./Gulf Coast CC) suffered the loss as he allowed an unearned run in one third of an inning of work as he allowed two hits to fall to 0-1 on the season. Notre Dame reliever Will Hudgins (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Irish as he threw 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball as he did not allow a hit.
Ball State returns home to Ball Diamond this weekend as the Cardinals open Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series against Akron. Game one first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
####
