Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Toledo
Baseball Clinches Seventh MAC West Championship
May 15, 2009 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. ? For a Mid-American Conference record seventh time, the Ball State baseball team has claimed the MAC West Division championship Friday afternoon as the Cardinals defeated divisional rival Toledo 8-6 at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals rallied from a sixth inning deficit to score the final three runs of the afternoon to secure the victory.
The victory clinches the division title and a number two seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament. Ball State has now won seven MAC West titles in the 12 years since divisional play began in 1998. It is the Cardinals third title under head coach Greg Beals and their first since the 2005 season. Ball State has now won five straight MAC games to improve to 14-10 in the conference and 26-23 overall.
“I am very proud of our team and happy for the achievement we have earned with the MAC West title,” Beals said. “We worked hard this season and have gone through some adversity but we have ourselves playing well right now.”
Senior left-hander Tom Mueller (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) and junior right-hander Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) turned in a dominating performance out of the bullpen as they combined to toss four innings of one-hit relief. Mueller, the Cardinals' team captain, improved to 2-2 on the season as he tossed 2.2 innings of stellar relief and only allowed one unearned run while striking out four batters. Hammons notched his first save of the season as he worked 1.1 innings of no-hit baseball and struck out two batters.
Ball State opened the scoring quickly in the bottom of the first inning against Toledo starter Matt Kuna. Junior center fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) led off the game with his team-leading seventh triple of the season. Hazelbaker came home to score as senior second baseman Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) single through the right side to open the scoring. The run was Hazelbaker's 72nd scored of the season which gives him the Ball State single-season runs scored record, surpassing former Cardinal Larry Bigbie (71 in 1999).
The Cardinals kept the early pressure on as sophomore Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line to put the Cardinals ahead by two. Junior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) traded places with Vitek as he dropped a double into right center field for the third run of the inning. After a fly ball moved Dygert to third, junior left fielder Kory Benbow (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead as he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.
Toledo (21-29, 14-12 MAC) came back to score one run in the top of the second inning against junior right-hander Brad Piatt (Galveston, Ind./Lewis Cass). Aaron Dudley led off the inning with a single and after an out Jake Oester singled to put runners at the corners. Piatt was able to induce a fly ball to center that scored Dudley before ending the inning with a ground out to limit the damage.
Toledo tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth inning as Jake Oester hit a three-run home run to left field to knot the game at 4-4. The Rockets took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the fifth inning as Tim Krofcheck hit a solo home run down the left field line to put Toledo ahead 5-4.
The Cardinals responded right back in the bottom of the fifth inning as Hazelbaker hit his second triple of the game off of the right center field wall to lead off the inning. The triple was his eighth of the season which tied him for the BSU single-season record with former Cardinal Kent Lynch (1981 &1983). Fields drove in the Cardinals' fifth run as he grounded out to shortstop to knot the game at five apiece.
Toledo brought in left-hander Ryan France from the bullpen and the Cardinals countered with freshman pinch hitter Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood). Elliott answered the call as he reached on an infield single to score Benbow and the Rockets overthrew first base and allowed Baumet to score all the way from second with the go ahead run.
Mueller held the Rockets scoreless in the top of the seventh inning and the Cardinals added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Ball State loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to a Vitek single, a Toledo error and a walk. Toledo reliever Lincoln Rassi was able to get two outs before Elliott picked up his second RBI as he was hit by a 1-0 pitch to force Vitek home to give the Cardinals a crucial two-run lead.
Mueller continued his dominance in the top of the eighth inning as he struck out the first two batters he faced before giving way to Hammons who quickly ended the inning as he struck out Oester in just three pitches. He continued the Cardinals' dominance from its bullpen as he retired the side in order in the ninth inning to secure his first save of the season.
Kuna (4-2) picked up just his second loss of the season as he allowed seven runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings of work. Four Rocket relievers combined for 2.2 innings of two-hit relief but allowed the critical insurance run in the seventh.
The Cardinals tallied three doubles in the victory to raise their season total to 132. Ball State is now just one double shy of the BSU single-season record for two-baggers of 133 set in 1999 and moved past last season's total of 130 doubles for second place.
Ball State will wrap up the 2009 regular season Saturday afternoon in the series finale against Toledo. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ball Diamond. Prior to the game, the Cardinals will honor their senior class in a pregame ceremony.
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