Ball State University
Missouri
Softball Upsets No. 3 Missouri, Loses to Northwestern
March 20, 2010 | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- With Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich.) on the mound, Ball State extended its winning streak to nine after defeating Missouri, the No. 3 ranked team in the country, 2-1, in its first game of the Demarini Invitational in Columbia, Mo., Friday. The upset broke Missouri's 17-game winning streak and advanced the Cardinals to 16-5 on the season, while the Tigers dropped to 19-3.
After defeating Missouri, the Cardinals faced Northwestern and were handed their first loss since March 5 against St. Josephs. The final score was Northwestern 3, Ball State 2. The Cardinals are now 16-6 this season and the Wildcats are 11-10.
Ball State 2, Missouri 1
Missouri was the first to put points on the board in this low scoring, yet action-packed game. The Tigers took their lead in the top of the third inning when Rhea Taylor crossed the plate compliments of an RBI groundout by Jenna Marston.
After allowing two hits in this inning and one in the first, Milian allowed only one more hit and sat down the last 13 Mizzou batters consecutively. Millian is now 12-1 this season.
The Cardinals' offense answered in the fourth inning when Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz.) opened with a double hit to right centerfield - her sixth this season. Ware eventually crossed the plate on an RBI single hit by Jen Reifschneider (Wichita, Kan.) to put Ball State on the board. A sacrifice bunt by Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz.) caused the game-winning point for Ball State as Jackie Durment (Glenview, Ill.), pinch running for Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev.), crossed the plate.
This is the first time in six meetings that Ball State has defeated Missouri.
Northwestern 3, Ball State 2
Ball State took the lead in the second inning with runs scored by Hannah Zimmerman (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif.). Zimmerman, pinch running for Montalto who was walked by Northwestern's Lauren Delaney, was batted in by a sacrifice bunt courtesy of Meredith Nash (Peculiar, Mo.). Carpenter, who reached first on a fielder's choice resulting in Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz.) being tagged out at home, advanced to third on Nash's bunt and scored on the next play, compliments of Alyssa Freiling's (Bixby, Okla.) single to centerfield.
Delaney held the Ball State offense to these two runs for the remainder of the game.
Not hesitating in its answer, the Northwestern offense posted a run in the next inning against Ball State's Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind.). With Kelly Dyer on second from a double hit to centerfield, the Cardinals' first baseman, Kristy Stratton (Paw Paw, Mich.) bobbled a bunt by Jordan Wheeler, which gave Dyer enough time to cross home for the Wildcats' first point of the game.
Northwestern's fourth inning play secured the Wildcats' win. After the Wildcats started the inning with a single to right center field by Emily Haug followed by a double hit by Nicole Pauly, Milian replaced Sanders in the circle. On the next play, Milian gave up a hit to Dyer which resulted in the game-winning runs by Haug and Pauly.
Ball State is scheduled to play Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan at 11 a.m. CT Saturday in the Demarini Invitational. The Cardinals then face Northern Colorado at 7 p.m.
