Ball State University
Kent State
Softball Caught By Kent State In 3-2 Loss
April 17, 2010 | Softball
With two of the best pitchers in the Mid-American Conference - Ball State's Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) and Kent State's Kylie Reynolds - in the circle, the offensive drives of each team were thwarted in the first two innings. The Golden Flashes were the first to strike, however, when in the third inning Alyssa Frobase hit a home run off Milian. This was the first of three home runs Milian would pitch in the game.
The Cardinals rallied back in the top of the fourth when Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) was hit by a pitch and became the first Ball State batter to get on base. After Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) lined out to right field, Barkley advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored when Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) singled up the middle. Ball State's next two batters, Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) and Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde), were put on base by Reynolds' slip-ups - Wilczynski was hit and Montalto walked - to load the bases for the Cardinals. Reynolds who struck out seven batters throughout the game and owns a conference-leading 242 strikeouts this year, escaped the inning with only one Ball State run, as Meredith Nash (Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar) ended the inning with a swing and miss.
Following the game-tying inning by the Cardinals, Mother Nature sent a rain shower that caused a 26 minute rain delay. Outside of the rain, the temperature was 39 degrees - the lowest seen by the Cardinals this season.
Taking the mound after the delay, Milian struck out two batters and centerfielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Alonso) took care of a fly ball up the middle to keep the scoreboard even at one apiece.
Heading into the top of the fifth, Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz./Hamilton) and Rozanski started things off for the Cardinals' offense with singles hit to the outfield. With Ware and Rozanski on base, Barkley drew a walk from Reynolds to load the bases. Carpenter followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield that drove in Ware and gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead on the Golden Flashes. Two runners were left on base as Collins ended the inning by flying out to center field.
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, two Kent State batters, Amy Hair and Frobase, connected with Milian's pitches for back-to-back home runs. This was Frobase's second of the day and the 12th Milian has seen this season. All three hits given up by Milian in the game were sent over the back wall.
Although Ball State put two runners on base in the seventh, Ware on a single and Carpenter who represented Reynolds' fourth walk of the game, they were unable to score and Kent State clinched the 3-2 win before stepping up to bat in the seventh.
The Cardinals will look to even the series against the Golden Flashes Sunday at 1 p.m. in Kent, Ohio. Live stats will be provided on www.ballstatesports.com and inning-by-inning updates are available by following @BallStSoftball on Twitter.
