Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Toledo
Baseball Rallies For 8-7 Victory At Toledo In 10 Innings
May 21, 2010 | Baseball
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Ball State baseball team rallied for a come-from-behind 8-7 victory over Mid-American Conference rival Toledo in 10 innings Friday afternoon at Scott Park. The Cardinals rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning before winning it in the 10th inning to keep their MAC regular season title hopes alive.
Ball State heads into the regular season finale Saturday afternoon tied with Central Michigan for the top spot in the conference at 19-7, while Toledo sits a game behind at 18-8. The Cardinals can claim the title and the number one seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament with a victory in the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Senior Ryan Chenoweth (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) and junior T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) paced the Cardinals' 14-hit attack in the victory. Chenoweth tallied two hits and drove in three runs, including the eventual game-winning run in the 10th inning. Baumet recorded three hits and reached base four times as he scored four runs and stole two bases.
Ball State (28-26, 19-7 MAC) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning against Toledo right-hander Mike Hamann. Baumet led off the game with a single into right center field and quickly stole his 25th base of the year to move into scoring position. After a ground ball to the right side moved him to third, junior Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Baumet and put the Cardinals in front 1-0.
Toledo (32-20, 18-8 MAC) answered back in the bottom half of the first against sophomore right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown). Chris Dudics led off the game with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Back-to-back singles by Jared Hoying and Joe Corfman drove in Dudics to tie the game at 1-1 before Bowling worked his way out of the inning as he stranded two base runners.
The Rockets took their first lead of the afternoon in the second inning as they scored one run after two quick outs. Josh Wierzba started things off with a single through the right side and Dudics tripled to center field to make it a 2-1 Toledo lead. The Rockets added another run in the third inning as Dan Sherwood singled in Corfman for a 3-1 lead.
Ball State answered back in the top of the fourth inning to chase Hamann from the game. Chenoweth rocketed his fourth home run of the season over the right center field wall with two outs to narrow the gap to 3-2. Baumet kept the inning going as he drew a walk and freshman Blake Beemer (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) singled through the right side to put runners on the corners. The Cardinals executed a double steal attempt with two outs as Beemer got caught in a rundown long enough for Baumet to score the tying run at 3-3.
Toledo retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning to chase Bowling from the game. Corfman started things off with a single before Bowling issued to straight walks to load the bases with just one out. Freshman left-hander Jon Cisna (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) came on and was immediately called for a balk that allowed the go ahead run to score.
Cisna buckled down and got a strike out for the second out before getting a deep fly ball to center field that sophomore Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) was able to track down before crashing into the wall for the final out of the inning. Toledo took a 5-3 lead with anothers run in the sixth inning as Corfman poked a single behind second base to plate Dudics.
The Cardinals narrowed the gap to 5-4 with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Baumet led off the inning with a single and quickly stole second base to get into scoring position. Vitek drove him home as he doubled off the center field wall to pull the Cardinals within one run.
Ball State tied the game in the top of the ninth inning against right-hander Matt Kuna. Baumet continued his stellar afternoon as he crushed the first pitch he saw over the right center field wall for his sixth home run of the season to knot the game at 5-5.
Toledo threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning as Aaron Dudley led off with an opposite field double off left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail). The Cardinals elected to intentionally walk Matt Delewski to set up the force play. Grabner worked out of the jam as he tallied two strike outs and a fly ball to center field to end the threat and strand two on base.
Ball State took its first lead of the game in the top of the 10th inning against Kuna. After an out, sophomore Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) ripped a single to left field and freshman Stephen Claypool (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) roped a single into right field to put runners on the corners.
The Cardinals took their first lead of the afternoon as Elliott stroked a single through the left side to score Nielsen with the go ahead run and keep runners on the corners. After a stolen base by Elliott put two in scoring position, Chenoweth stepped up and lined a 1-1 pitch into center field to give the Cardinals some insurance runs and an 8-5 lead.
Toledo kept battling in the bottom of the 10th inning as Dudics opened the frame by reaching on a BSU fielding error. After two quick outs by Grabner, Corfman singled to put two aboard before stealing second base to move both into scoring position. Dudley narrowed the deficit to 8-7 as he poked a two-run single into right field.
Ball State went to the bullpen once again for the final out and brought on Vitek for just his second relief appearance of the year. He quickly ended the contest as he struck out Delewski for his second career save and kept the Cardinals' title hopes alive.
Grabner (4-2) picked up the victory in relief as he worked 1.2 innings of three-hit baseball and only allowed two unearned runs. Bowling got the no decision after working 4.1 innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits. Kuna (2-2) was charged with the loss as he gave up four runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of relief work. Hamann also got a no decision after lasting just 3.2 innings and surrendering three runs on six hits.
The Cardinals and Rockets will wrap up the 2010 regular season Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Scott Park.
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