Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Miami
Baseball Downs Miami 6-3 In Home Opener
April 02, 2010 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - After 23 straight road games to open the 2010 season, the Ball State baseball team finally opened the home portion of its schedule at the friendly confines of Ball Diamond in strong fashion Friday afternoon as the Cardinals downed Mid-American Conference rival Miami 6-3 in their home opener in front of a crowd of 688 fans. The victory improves Ball State to 9-15 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, while Miami falls to 11-13 overall and 1-3 in league action.
Ball State scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break open a 2-2 contest as junior second baseman Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) drove in the eventual game-winning run with a run-scoring double. Senior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) gave the Cardinals a pair of insurance runs with a two-run home run in the ensuing at-bat to break open the game.
Four Cardinal pitchers combined to limit Miami to just four hits, including no hits over the final three innings of the contest. Redshirt sophomore Perci Garner (Dover, Ohio/Dover) was strong once again in his second straight Friday start as he tossed 6.0 innings of four-hit baseball to improve to 3-0 on the season. Garner allowed only two earned runs in the victory while striking out six batters. Relievers Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail) and Seth Hobbs (Marseilles, Ill./Seneca) each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen while closer Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) got three quick outs in the ninth to earn his second save.
Miami opened the scoring quickly as it took advantage of the stiff wind blowing out to left field. Jon Edgington led off the contest with a solo home run off of Garner's third pitch to give the RedHawks an early 1-0 lead. Garner settled in and quickly got out of the inning with a ground ball and back-to-back strikeouts.
Ball State answered right back in the bottom of the first inning against Miami starter Tyler Melling. Freshman Blake Beemer (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) started the rally as he was hit by a pitch and Vitek put two aboard as he singled into right field. Dygert worked a walk to quickly load the bases against Melling.
Sophomore first baseman Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) tied the game as he dropped a single in front of the Miami centerfielder to plate Beemer. Senior left fielder Kory Benbow (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) put the Cardinals in front as he lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to plate Vitek and put BSU in front 2-1. The RedHawks struck once again quickly in the top of the third inning as Ryan Curl hit a one-out solo home run over the center field wall to tie the game at 2-2.
Ball State broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning against Melling as it plated four runs on three hits and took advantage of a crucial Miami error. Sophomore Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) led off the inning with a double down the left field line and moved to third base on a BSU ground out. Junior T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) reached on a throwing error by the Miami shortstop that scored Elliott from third base.
Vitek gave the Cardinals a two-run lead as he ripped a hustling double into left field to plate Baumet. Dygert quickly put the Cardinals in front by a 6-2 score as he crushed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season.
Miami had its last threat in the top of the sixth inning to answer back, but was held to just one run. Curl led off with a walk and Edgington singled to put runners at the corners. Garner worked out of the inning as he induced a ground ball double play that scored Curl, but limited the threat to one run.
The Cardinals saw their 3-4-5-6 hitters in the lineup drive in five of their six runs in the victory, with Dygert leading the way with two RBI. Vitek paced the Cardinals attack with two hits and he reached base three times to raise his batting average to a team-high .412.
Melling (1-3) was charged with the loss as he allowed six runs on six hits in 6.0 innings of work. Reliever Matt Rosinski tossed 2.0 innings of scoreless relief for the RedHawks.
Ball State and Miami will continue its three-game series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for a 1 p.m. at Ball Diamond and sophomore right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) is set to take the hill for the Cardinals.
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