Ball State University
Toledo
Softball Wins Seven Straight With Ninth Inning Win At Toledo
April 12, 2009 | Softball
TOLEDO, Ohio. ? The Ball State softball team (20-16) got its 10th Mid-American Conference win Sunday at Toledo (5-27, 3-7 in MAC). The 10 wins are the most the Cardinals have earned in MAC play since 2002 in which they posted a 13-7 record.
Alicia Barkley's top of the ninth RBI single allowed pinch runner Katelyn Gunderson to score the winning run.
After two outs in the first inning, Barkley started the hitting for the Cardinals with a single to right field. Alyssa Collins logged a hit to center field, but Barkley was thrown out sprinting to the plate.
Elizabeth Milian gave up no hits in the bottom of the first, allowing Ball State to head back to the plate. Milian was also walked as the first runner on base in the top of the second with one out. Back-to-back doubles from Kate Wilczynski and Amanda Montalto gave the Cardinals an early 2-0 lead. It is the seventh consecutive game Ball State has scored first, including three games at home. Lisa Rozanski hit a single through the middle but Montalto was caught at the plate for the last out.
Toledo's Jill Barnett earned her second home run of the season over the left field wall to begin the bottom of the second as the Rockets trailed 2-1. However, a second solo home run from Brooke Gates tied the game at two apiece.
Both teams put just one runner on base in the third and fourth innings as Ball State lead five hits to four.
Rozanski started off the top of the order in the top of the fifth and logged her sixth triple of the season to take sole position of fifth on the single-season chart; the current record is nine. Barkley reached on a fielder's choice as Rozanski and the Cardinals took back the lead 3-2.
Toledo sent two more hits to the right side, but could not earn another run in the bottom of the fifth, and neither team earned a hit in the sixth.
Kristy Stratton pinch hit for Holle and singled to right center field in the top of the seventh. Holle reentered but was out at second as Rozanski reached on a fielder's choice. Rozanski then stole her 21st base at second. She advanced to third on a ground out by Pennock, but could not advance home as Rocket pitcher Shana Szypka struck out her third batter in the game.
Toledo tied the score back up in the bottom of the seventh with a walk and two singles and sent the game into extra innings, but no hits were recorded in the eighth.
At the start of the ninth inning, all marks matched on the board: three runs, seven hits and one error for each team. However, Ball State would make the last marks. Wilczynski made it to first on a walk and advanced to second as Montalto singled through the left side. Holle reached on a fielder's choice, but Wilczynski was forced out at third. Rozanski also singled through the left side to load the bases to tie her season-high with three hits. A popout followed but Barkley's RBI single gave Ball State back the lead 4-3 before the last out.
In Toledo's last at bat, the first batter walked and the next batter popped up the Jen Reifschneider at first base. Natalie Bejarano then threw out the runner trying to steal second for the next out and Milian struck out the last batter to secure the 4-3 victory.
Milian (15-10) finished with seven strikeouts on the day and 146 for the season, the most in a single-season in her career.
The Cardinals are back at the BSU Softball Complex Tuesday for a 3 p.m. non-conference double header against Dayton (8-27). Ball State also heads to Purdue (20-12) 4 p.m. Wednesday.
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