Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Central Michigan
Baseball Drops Series Opener At Central Michigan
April 23, 2010 | Baseball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Ball State baseball team suffered just its fourth Mid-American Conference game of the season as the Cardinals dropped a hard fought 4-3 contest to MAC-leading Central Michigan at Theunissen Stadium in the weekend series opener. The series schedule has been changed due to impending weather Sunday and will resume Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader set for noon.
The Friday afternoon showdown between the top two teams in the MAC West Division lived up its billing of a pitcher's duel as the two teams combined for just six earned runs and 15 total hits in the game. CMU right-hander Jesse Hernandez (6-1) tossed a complete game for the Chippewas as he allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out seven.
Redshirt sophomore Perci Garner (Dover, Ohio/Dover) suffered his first loss of the season as he allowed three earned runs on six hits in 5.2 innings of work. Garner (5-1) struck out six batters but walked a season-high four in the loss. Left-handed reliever Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail) was stellar in relief as he tossed 2.1 shutout innings of two-hit baseball. Grabner has now tossed 17.2 innings in MAC play and owns a 0.51 ERA against league foes.
Ball State (17-21, 9-4 MAC) opened the scoring quickly against Hernandez. Junior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led off the game with a line drive single into left field. After a perfect sacrifice bunt by Blake Beemer (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) moved Baumet to third, junior Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) dropped a single into right center field to plate Baumet.
Vitek hustled into second base on the throw home to move into scoring position and quickly stole his 11th base of the season on the first pitch of the ensuing at-bat. Senior Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) put the Cardinals in front 2-0 with a ground ball into the hole to plate Vitek.
Central Michigan (22-13, 11-2 MAC) responded in the bottom half of the first inning against Garner. He opened the contest with a five-pitch walk to Billy Anderson who quickly moved to second base on a throwing error by Garner on a pickoff attempt. Anderson stole third base and came home to score as Dale Cornstubble lifted a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Baumet and Vitek connection struck once again in the top of the third inning to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Baumet tallied his second single of the contest as he ripped a ground ball up the middle and moved to second on a ground ball from Beemer. Vitek notched his second RBI of the game as he poked a single through the right side to score Baumet with the Cardinals' third run.
Central Michigan answered back with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. Robbie Harman led off the inning with a double and Garner issued a walk to Brendan Emmett to put two aboard. The Chippewas got back-to-back run-scoring singles through the left side from Cornstubble and Nate Theunissen to even the game at three apiece.
The Chippewas took their only lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning as they chased Garner from the game. James Teas led off the game with a four-pitch walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Scott Phillon singled to put runners at the corners and Teas came home to score on a Baumet fielding error on a potential inning-ending double play. Grabner came out of the bullpen and got the third out of the inning to strand two CMU runners on base.
The Cardinals looked to make a rally in the top of the eighth inning as sophomore Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) led off with a single to right field for his second hit of the afternoon. Hernandez was able to work out of the inning as CMU pitched out as Elliot was attempting to steal to thwart the threat.
The Cardinals and Chippewas will return to action Saturday afternoon with a noon doubleheader at Theunissen Stadium.
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