Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Buffalo
Baseball Drops Wild Extra Inning Affair To Buffalo
April 18, 2010 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team suffered its first home loss of the season Sunday afternoon as the Cardinals dropped a back-and-forth 11-7 Mid-American Conference contest to visiting Buffalo at Ball Diamond. The loss snaps the Cardinals' six-game home winning streak and drops them to 9-3 in MAC play this year.
The see-saw affair saw both teams rally late in the game to tie the contest. Buffalo fought back from a 4-1 deficit to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth inning. The Cardinals answered with the game-tying run in the bottom half of the inning only to see Buffalo score two more in the ninth. Ball State sent the game into extra innings in the bottom half of the ninth as senior Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) hit a game-tying two-run home run. The Bulls finally ended the game in the 11th inning as they scored four runs to end the day's scoring.
Buffalo (16-17, 4-8 MAC) opened the scoring quickly against BSU right-hander Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan). The Bulls tallied four first inning singles, but Vitek worked out of the inning with only one run being scored. Vitek stranded the bases loaded as he struck out Rob Lawler to end the threat.
The Cardinals answered back in the bottom half of the first against UB left-hander Josh Edwards. Junior T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led off the game with a four-pitch walk and freshman Blake Beemer (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) followed with a single to put two aboard. After Vitek flew out to deep left field to advance Baumet, Dygert drove him in as he flew out to right field to tie the game at 1-1.
Ball State (16-19, 9-3 MAC) took its first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the third inning as Vitek helped his own cause. He launched his team-leading 10th home run of the season over the right field wall to put the Cardinals in front 2-1.
The Cardinals extended its lead to 4-1 with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Stephen Claypool (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) and sophomore Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) began the rally with back-to-back one out singles. Baumet drove in the inning's first run with a single to left field. The Cardinals tacked on their fourth run as Elliott scored on UB throwing error by Lawler.
Buffalo chipped away at the Ball State lead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning against right-handed reliever Seth Hobbs (Marseilles, Ill./Seneca). Alex Baldock led off the inning with a single and came home to score as Brad Agustin hit a two-run home run over the right field wall to make it a 4-3 contest.
The Bulls battled back in the top of the eighth inning to retake the lead at 5-4. Baldock led off the inning with a double and came home to score on a BSU error on the ensuing sacrifice bunt attempt. Buffalo took the lead as Brad Cochrane singled in David Neff to cap the inning.
Ball State showed its mettle in the bottom half of the eighth inning against UB closer Kevin Crumb. Crumb got the first two outs of the inning before Elliott crushed full count fastball over the left field wall for the game-tying home run. The home run was his second in the past two games as he hit the game-winning long ball yesterday afternoon in the sixth inning.
The Bulls answered back in the top of the ninth inning against BSU closer Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central). Buffalo tallied three hits in the inning, including RBI singles from Neff and Agustin to take a 7-5 lead.
Ball State rallied once again in the bottom of the ninth inning against Brian Pullyblank. Vitek opened the inning as he reached on a UB fielding error. Dygert worked the count and drilled a full count pitch high over the left field wall for his seventh home run of the season to knot the game at 7-7 heading into extra innings.
Buffalo had the last blow as it scored four runs in the top of the 11th inning against BSU right-hander Scott Brothers Jr. (Fort Wayne, Ind./Gulf Coast CC). The first two Bulls reached on singles before a Neff sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position. Agustin drove in the go ahead runs with a two-run single to center field before Bobby Pizzuto hit a two-run home run to cap the scoring.
Brothers (2-2) was charged with the loss as he allowed four runs on four hits in 1.0 inning of work as he was the Cardinals' sixth pitcher of the afternoon. Vitek got a no decision in the start as he worked 5.0 solid innings of one-run baseball while striking out seven batters. Pullyblank (2-3) got the victory in relief as he went the final 3.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits.
The Cardinals step out of MAC play Tuesday as they host instate foe Indiana State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Ball Diamond.
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