Ball State University
IUPUI
Softball Posts 11-4 Win at IUPUI
March 31, 2010 | Softball
The MAC West Division Player of the Week, Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz./Hamilton), led the Cardinals' batting line-up with two consecutive home runs, the second of which was an inside the park home run slugged in the sixth inning. This was Ware's fourth home run of the season and she also lays claim to a team-leading .427 batting average, eight doubles and seven triples.
Ball State took an early lead when the defending MAC Player of the Year, Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City), hit a single to right field that drove home Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Alonso) in the first inning.
In the top of the first, Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) stepped into the circle for Ball State and struck out two batters to keep the Cardinals lead at 1-0. Milian was credited with the game win and is now 14-1 this season.
Then, in the bottom of the second inning, the Cardinals scored seven runs on seven hits to solidify their offensive dominance. The scoring drive was put together by a string of four base hits which began with Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) who was followed by Jen Reifschneider (Wichita, Kan./Maize), Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro), who advanced to second on the throw and drove in Carpenter, and, fourth, Alyssa Freiling (Bixby, Okla./Sequoyah). Freiling's single ran in Jackie Durment (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) who was pinch running for Reifschneider.
With the Cardinals leading 3-0, two runners on base and zero outs in the inning, the Jaguars brought in Samantha Bumbaugh to replace Natter on the mound.
Next up for Ball State was Rozanski who reached second base on an error by left field that also gave up runs to Wilczynski and Freiling. Rozanski scored on the next play as Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) singled to centerfield and claimed her 10th RBI of the season. Drilling her eighth double this year, Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) brought in the final two runs of the inning. The score at the end of the second was 8-0.
Milian took the mound in the top of the second and gave up two hits. The second hit, a two-run home run compliments of Laura Wilcox, was the first home run Milian has allowed this season. Then, in the third inning, Milian gave up another home run, this time to Mia Ettl. The ace struck out four batters in the two innings combined.
Leading 8-2 headed into the the fourth, the Ball State offense continued to dominate and Ware hit her first home run of the game. The next batter, Montalto, followed Ware's lead and slugged her fourth home run of the season over the right field wall. After the consecutive home runs, IUPUI's head coach was ejected from the game.
Milian pitched one more inning for the Cardinals and struck out two batters to end her day with eight strikeouts in four innings pitched. Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) replaced Milian on the mound in the fifth and gave up one run and two hits - one of which was a homerun by Alicia Hayes - in two innings on the mound.
The upcoming Easter weekend features a battle of defending MAC Champions as the regular season MAC Champion Cardinals host the defending MAC Tournament Champion Miami Redhawks, in their home and conference opener at the BSU Softball Complex in Muncie, Ind. The first game is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. and the second for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday's game will be broadcast live on 91.3 WCRD and live stats will be provided on www.ballstatesports.com.
