Ball State University
Akron (DH)
Softball Sweeps Akron In Back-To-Back Shutouts Friday
May 07, 2010 | Softball
Heading into their final two games of the regular season, the Cardinals are riding a season-best 10-game winning streak and have officially clinched the top spot in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
GAME 1 - Ball State 7, Akron 0
In the circle for Ball State, Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc), pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10 batters to notch her ninth shutout this season and the team's 11th.
On offense, Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon del Oro) began the Cardinals scoring drive with her first of three doubles in the game - the junior has tallied 12 doubles this season and nine multi-hit games. Wilczynski was followed by Meredith Nash (Peculiar, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar) who followed with a double to drive in Wilczynski for Ball State's first run of the day.
Then, in the third inning, Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Alonso), Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) and Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) strung together a series of singles. While Carpenter drove in both Rozanski and Barkley, she was tagged out on second. Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) and Wilczynski followed with doubles to score a third run in the inning and give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.
Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz./Hamilton) tripled in the fourth inning - after being hit by a pitch and grounding out in previous at bats - and scored on a throwing error by Akron's centerfielder, Cassie Gleisner.
Ball State would score its final two runs of the game in the sixth inning which began with Wilczynski's third consecutive double. Then, an error by Akron's shortstop Heather Bauer allowed Jen Moore (Canton, Ohio/Jackson), pinch hitting for Jen Reifschneider (Wichita, Kan./Maize) to reach and Hannah Zimmerman (Indianapolis, Ind./Scecina Memorial), pinch running for Wilczynski, to score. Pinch hitter Kristy Stratton (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) then tallied an RBI on a single up the middle to advance the Cardinals' lead to seven runs.
GAME 2 - Ball State 3, Akron 0
Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) took the mound for the Cardinals in the nightcap and tallied her second shutout of the season and the team's 12th. The rookie struck out four batters, allowed just four hits to Ball State's seven and posted zero walks.
With neither team able to score in the first four innings, Reifschneider notched the first run of the game on her second home run of the season. Then, Ware, who leads the nation in triples and triples per game, hit her second triple of the day to drive in Sadie Robertson (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit). Rozanski followed with a single to center field that drove in Ware for the Cardinals third and final run of the game.
The Cardinals have tallied 38 wins this season and need just two more to set a school record in the category. The 2010 team has already set school records in runs scored (296), doubles (82), triples (30), RBI (257) and total bases (641).
Ball State returns to the BSU Softball Complex for its final two games of the regular season Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Ohio. Sunday has been designated Senior Day at the park and Ball State seniors Milian, Nash, Reifschneider and Ware will be honored for their contributions to the Cardinals softball program. Live stats will be provided for both games on www.ballstatesports.com and inning-by-inning updates can be found on Twitter courtesy of @BallStSoftball.
