Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Softball Defeats Eastern Michigan, 4-3, Sunday
April 11, 2010 | Softball
Eastern Michigan (11-19; 3-5 MAC) mirrored its performance from game one of the two-game series, played Saturday in Muncie, by beating Ball State to the scoreboard in the top of the first inning. With Katy Blaharski on base, representing the only walk given up by Elizabeth Milian in the game, Sarah Gerber singled to left field and drove in Blaharski for the Eagles' first run.
The Cardinals answered quickly in the bottom of the first when Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Alonso) was driven in by a double compliments of Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana). The first inning would end with two Cardinals striking out and two left on base. Eastern Michigan's pitcher, Jamie Melchert, struck out seven batters throughout the game.
Eastern Michigan scored its next two and last runs of the game in the top of the second inning. The first run was a home run slugged by Jenny Scherer and the second by Jessica Richards who was batted in when Blaharski doubled to left field. The Eagles would tally four more hits throughout the game and leave six runners on base.
Ball State made its comeback in the sixth inning and it all began when Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) was walked by Melchert. Then, Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) smacked a double hit to left center field. Following Wilczynski's hit, Moore stepped into the line-up for Alyssa Freiling (Bixby, Okla./Sequoyah) and doubled to drive in two runners and even the score at 3-3. Kristy Stratton (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw), who made the game-winning play in game one against the Eagles, again pulled through for Ball State with an RBI single that gave the Cardinals their fourth and final run of the day.
Striking out six batters in the game, Milian now has 166 strikeouts this season and 622 in her career. She needs just six more to become Ball State's career leader in this category. The current leader, Bernie Coffman, played at Ball State in the 1986-89 seasons.
Ball State will face in-state foe Indiana University in a doubleheader at the BSU Softball Complex in Muncie beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The Cardinals then return to MAC play in a doubleheader on the road against Buffalo beginning at 1 p.m. Friday.
