Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Northern Illinois
Baseball Notches Eighth Straight Series Victory Saturday
May 15, 2010 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team recorded its eighth straight Mid-American Conference weekend series victory of the season Saturday afternoon as the Cardinals downed Northern Illinois 8-2 at Ball Diamond. The victory keeps the Cardinals alone in first place in the MAC with a 17-6 league record and marks their 10th straight MAC series victory dating back to last season.
Sophomore right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) improved to 6-3 overall on the season and a perfect 6-0 in MAC play this season with the victory. Bowling worked 6.1 innings of four-hit baseball and only allowed one unearned run while striking out three batters. His 6-0 record is the top mark in the MAC this season in league contests.
Freshman Blake Beemer (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) paced the Cardinals' attack as he drove in three runs and scored three runs on two hits. Junior T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) added two hits and two runs scored while also recording two stolen bases to raise his team-leading total to 24 on the year.
Northern Illinois (20-30, 9-14 MAC) opened the scoring early as it plated an unearned run in the top of the first inning against Bowling. The Huskies took advantage of a BSU fielding error to put runners on first and second base. Jordin Hood drove in the game's first run as he doubled down the left field line to score the first run. Bowling worked out of the inning as he induced a pop fly and a ground ball out to leave two runners stranded in scoring position.
Ball State (26-24, 16-6 MAC) answered back in the bottom half of the frame against NIU right-hander Jeremy Gonzales. Beemer started the rally with a single down the right field line and junior Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) doubled down the left field line to put two in scoring position. The Cardinals tied the game as Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) grounded out to the shortstop to make it a 1-1 game.
Northern Illinois threatened in the top of the fourth inning as Dave Reynolds tripled with one out. Bowling buckled down and induced a ground ball to first base with the infield in for the second out. He received help from his defense for the third out as Brett Frantini grounded softly down the first base line but senior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) made a strong play as he fielded the ball and flipped it to first to just beat Frantini to end the inning.
The Cardinals took their first lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the fifth inning. Beemer led off the inning as he was hit by a pitch. Dygert quickly put BSU in front as he launched his 11th home run of the season over the left center field wall for the 3-1 lead.
Ball State broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning as it scored four runs to take a 7-1 lead. Sophomore Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) opened the inning as he drew a one-out walk and quickly stole second to move into scoring position. Baumet dropped down a bunt single to put runners at the corners. After a stolen base by Baumet, Beemer doubled to left center field to drive in two runs and make it a 5-1 game.
Vitek followed as he reached on a fielding error by the NIU center fielder before Nielsen drove in a run with an opposite field RBI single. The Cardinals capped the inning as they executed a double steal attempt with Vitek scoring as Nielsen was caught in a rundown to make it a 7-1 game. The teams traded runs in the eighth inning to cap the scoring at 8-2.
Gonzales (3-4) was charged with the loss as he allowed three runs on five hits in 5.0 innings of work. Reliever Kyle Glancy was tagged for four runs on three hits in just two-thirds of an inning of work for NIU.
The Cardinals and Huskies will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon in the final regular season home game of the year. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals will honor their four seniors Ryan Chenoweth (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central), Brad Piatt (Galveston, Ind./Lewis Cass) and Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) with pregame senior day festivities at 12:45 p.m.
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