Ball State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Drops Series Opener Against CMU; Doubleheader Saturday
April 17, 2009 | Baseball
Ball State and Central Michigan will meet Saturday at noon for a doubleheader to wrap up the three-game series. The two teams were originally scheduled for a single game Saturday and a single game Sunday but have moved the games due to forecasted rain Sunday afternoon.
Central Michigan scored first against junior right-hander Brad Piatt (Galveston, Ind./Lewis Cass) in the top of the fourth inning as it plated a run after four straight singles. Piatt was able to work out of the inning without any more damage as he struck out two straight to end the inning. The Chippewas added another run in the top of the fifth inning after CMU loaded the bases to begin the inning and chase Piatt from the game.
Freshman right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) came on in relief and got a ground ball to first base to plate the second run of the game. Bowling was also able to leave the bases loaded as he induced a ground ball to the shortstop to end the inning.
Central Michigan took a five-run lead in the seventh inning against Bowling as it scored three runs on five hits in the inning. Tyler Kipke had the big hit in the inning as the tripled to center field to plate two runs for the Chippewas.
Ball State finally broke through on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh inning to chase CMU starter Steve Teno from the game. Freshman right fielder Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) started things off with a one out single to center field. Elliott came home as junior center fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) crushed his fourth home run of the season over the center field wall for the Cardinals' first runs of the game.
Senior second baseman Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) worked a five-pitch walk to chase Teno from the game. Fields moved all the way to third base as CMU reliever Devan Kline had a throwing error on an attempted pickoff. The Cardinals narrowed the deficit to 5-3 as sophomore third baseman Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) singled up the middle to plate Fields with the third run of the day.
Central Michigan answered right back in the top of the eighth inning with four runs to take a 9-3 lead. Nate Theunissen had the big hit in the inning as he hit a two-run home run to extend the Chippewas' lead.
Ball State made one final push in the bottom of the ninth inning as it pulled within three runs. Hazelbaker led off the inning with a hustling double to short center field and Fields followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners. After a Fields' stolen base, Vitek singled in Hazelbaker to narrow the gap to 9-4.
After an out, Vitek stole second to put two in scoring position for freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte). Nielsen came through with a two-run double to left center field to chase Kline from the game. CMU reliever Harvey Martin came on in relief and was able to get the final two outs of the game to pick up his second save of the year.
Piatt (4-1) was charged with his first loss of the season as he worked 4.1 innings and allowed two runs on 10 hits as he struck out three batters. Teno (3-4) earned the victory as he lasted 6.1 innings and held the Cardinals to three runs on six hits.
Ball State and Central Michigan will meet Saturday at noon for a doubleheader to wrap up the three-game series. The two teams were originally scheduled for a single game Saturday and a single game Sunday but have moved the games due to forecasted rain Sunday afternoon.
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