Baseball Evens Series With 13-Inning Win At SEMO

Saturday, February 26

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

1 p.m. (CT)

Ball State University

1-4

Southeast Missouri

4-2

Ball State Cardinals

Southeast Missouri

Baseball Inks Six To National Letters Of Intent

February 27, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - - First-year head coach Alex Marconi earned his first collegiate victory as the Ball State (1-4) baseball team out-lasted Southeast Missouri State (4-2) for a 6-2, 13-inning win at Capaha Field Saturday afternoon.

In what turned out to be a pitching duel, the Cardinals were able to capitalize on five SEMO errors to score their first win of the season. Ball State's big inning came in the 13th, when an error on what should have been an inning-ending double play allowed the eventual game-winning run to score.

Senior pitcher Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail H.S.) turned in a solid start for the Cardinals, throwing a career-high six innings, allowing just two runs and seven hits. Grabner struck out five batters while allowing no walks in just his third career start for Ball State.

Freshman T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo H.S.) picked up his first collegiate victory, throwing the final two innings and allowing just one hit. At the plate, Weir recorded his first two career hits in the game.

Also appearing on the mound for the Cardinals were fifth-year seniors Scott Brothers Jr. (Monticello, Ind./Gulf Coast C.C.) and Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind./Lincoln Trail H.S.). Brothers pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Grabner, allowing just two hits. Coombs threw 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball, giving up just one hit and recording a strikeout.

At the plate, senior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg H.S.) went 3-for-5 and also drew a pair of walks. Junior second baseman Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond H.S.) also smashed three hits, going 3-for-6 and collecting a pair of RBI in the four-run 13th inning.

Josh Syberg picked up the loss for the RedHawks, allowing two hits and four unearned runs in the top of the 13th inning.

A pair of errors on SEMO's shortstop helped the Cardinals push the first run of the game across the plate in the top of the third, as Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowen H.S.) reached on a leadoff error and later scored on a two-out error.

K. Campbell gave BSU a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth with a two-out RBI single to third, as he beat the throw to first allowing Stephen Claypool (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child H.S.) to score from third.

Southeast Missouri State evened the score in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a no-out, two-run blast from Nick Harris.

From there, the teams placed through six more scoreless innings before the Cardinals posted a four-spot in the top of the 13th innings.

Once again the Cardinals were able to capitalize on a pair of SEMO errors, as what should have been an inning-ending double play with runners at first and second ended up giving BSU the lead as K. Campbell came home from second to score.

Two batters later, a two-run single from Widau upped the Cardinals lead to 5-2. BSU's final run came across when sophomore outfielder Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont H.S.) scored on a throwing error by the SEMO pitcher on a pickoff attempt at first.

The Cardinals and RedHawks complete their three game series Sunday afternoon with another 1 p.m. (CT) first pitch at Capaha Field.