Ball State University Athletics
Softball Continues Action at Under Armour Invitational
March 04, 2011 | Softball
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Ball State Softball returns to action this weekend at the Under Armour Invitational in Tampa, Fla. and Clearwater, Fla. The squad enters tournament play after recording a 4-1 mark during the Phyllis Rafter Memorial in Kennesaw, Ga., good for a 6-3 tally on the young season.
Ball State begins with contests Friday against Arkansas and host South Florida at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, followed by matchups versus Villanova and Michigan at 3 pm and 8 p.m. Saturday. Ball State will complete its play in the tournament Sunday against East Tennessee State at noon.
FROM THE WEEKEND: Friday versus Kennesaw State in the opening day of the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, the Cardinals recorded a 6-3 victory against the Owls at the Twin Creeks Softball Complex. Ball State outhit Kennesaw State, 14-7, while junior catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) paced the Cardinals at the plate going 3-for-4, in addition to tallying her first home run of the 2011 season. Senior center fielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) and senior shortstop Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) accumulated two hits in four appearances and a stolen base each, while senior right fielder Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) and freshman Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) went 2-for-3 and 3-for-4, respectively. From inside the circle, sophomore pitcher Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) allowed seven hits and collected four strikeouts in seven innings.
On the second day of the tournament, Ball State took two contests from both Tennessee State and Mercer by scores of 13-5 and 8-1, respectively. The Cardinals outhit the Tigers, 17-7, and went only one inning without a run. Barkley went a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate, while Collins and Gilbert each accumulated three hits in four appearances. Junior hurler Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) paced the Cardinals from inside the circle as she allowed for seven hits and walked one, in addition to collecting five strikeouts in five innings.
Ball State outhit Mercer 12-8 and committed no errors. Against the Bears, sophomore left fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Barkley and junior second baseman Alison Mercado (Perris, Calif./Arizona Western) finished the day at 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively. Rozanski also joined Barkley and Carpenter with a stolen base apiece, in addition to collecting one hit in three appearances. Sanders had a phenomenal showing from inside the circle as she dished up three innings of no-hit pitching, in addition to fanning 10 Mercer batters.
To close the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, Ball State recorded a split by defeating MAC foe Bowling Green, 9-6, and falling to Georgia State, 5-2. Versus the Falcons, Collins stood out at the plate after batting .667 and going 2-for-3. Junior pitcher Kim Mazzapica (Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake) and Sanders split seven innings in the circle. Mazzapica allowed for six hits, while Sanders dished up just over six innings of two-hit pitching, in addition to recording 10 strikeouts.
Gilbert led Ball State versus Georgia State, as she collected two hits in three appearances and her second career home run in two days with the Cardinals. Workman tallied the loss after allowing three hits and walking three in the bottom of the first inning, while Mazzapica pitched for six innings, allowing for two hits and fanning two Panthers batters.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS: Friday's game marks the third time Ball State and Arkansas will meet, as the Cardinals and Razorbacks are deadlocked at 1-1 all-time. The two squads last met in 2009 at the Holiday Inn-NWA Razorback Invitational as Arkansas shutout Ball State, 1-0. The Razorbacks enter weekend play with a 7-8 record after recording a split against Rutgers and Texas on the final day of the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach Islanders Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. Senior Becca Carden, a native of Miami, Okla., leads Arkansas' charge, batting 20-for-50, including four doubles, three triples, two home runs and 14 RBI.
SCOUTING USF: The contest between Ball State and USF stands as the 15th meeting between the two teams, as the Bulls own the 12-2 series advantage. The two squads last met during the 2008 season as USF shutout Ball State, 1-0, at the USF Tournament. The Bulls enter the tournament with an 8-8 record after defeating Western Michigan, 8-0, Wednesday.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN: Saturday's matchup with Michigan marks the eighth time the two teams will face each other. The Wolverines enter weekend play with a perfect 17-0 overall record after defeating both Valparaiso and Central Florida Tuesday, but falling to the Dutch National Team Wednesday in exhibition action.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA: The game between Ball State and Villanova stands as the first meeting between the two squads. The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 5-5 overall record after closing the Radission-UCF Invitational Sunday with a 1-0 shutout of UMKC.
ETSU: Sunday's contest between Ball State and ETSU marks the fourth time the two teams will face each other, as the Lady Buccaneers own the 2-1 series advantage. Last season, ETSU defeated Ball State, 2-1, at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Heading into the Under Armour Invitational, the Lady Bucs own a 3-8 overall record after falling to Tennessee Tech, 14-5, Sunday.
PHYLLIS RAFTER ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Ball State had five players named to the Phyllis Rafter Memorial All-Tournament Team for their performances in the three-day event in Woodstock, Ga. Sanders earned pitching honors, while Barkley, Collins, Montalto and Gilbert collected position accolades.
GILBERT GRABS MAC HONORS: Gilbert earned Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career with the Cardinals. She had a phenomenal weekend in Woodstock, Ga., going 10-for-19, batting .526, in addition to tallying five runs, 10 RBI, and two doubles and home runs against Tennessee State and Georgia State. Starting in all nine of Ball State's contests so far this season, Gilbert is batting at a .387 clip and has recorded a .645 slugging percentage, including two doubles and two home runs, in addition to 11 RBI.
Head coach Craig Nicholson and the team open the home portion of the 2011 season in a doubleheader versus Dayton at the BSU Softball Complex, beginning at 3 p.m. on March 24.
