Softball Defeats Arkansas at Under Armour Invite

Friday, March 4

Tampa, Fla.

11:30 a.m.

Ball State University

7-3

Arkansas

7-9

Arkansas

Ball State

Softball Swept by Bowling Green after Sunday Loss

March 04, 2011 | Softball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

TAMPA, Fla. - The Ball State softball team defeated Arkansas, 3-2, on the opening day of the Under Armour Invitational, at the USF Softball Field in Tampa, Fla. The Cardinals now own a 7-3 overall record on the young season.

Arkansas opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning after sophomore Linnea Ketcher scored on a wild pitch. Then freshman Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) started things off for Ball State in the bottom of the second inning as she smacked a home run into right field, her third of the season.

In the top of the third inning, Arkansas' sophomore Courtney Breault scored after freshman Jennifer Rambo singled to right field. Ball State responded in the bottom of the third inning as senior right fielder Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) drove in senior center fielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) off an RBI ground-out.

In the bottom of the sixth, freshman first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) drove in sophomore left fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) from third base with an RBI ground-out, to score the game-winning run. In the final moments of the contest, sophomore pitcher Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) struck out Arkansas' right fielder junior Tori Mort to help seal the victory for Ball State.

Gilbert paced the Cardinals at the plate, going 1-for-3, in addition to recording her home run. Freshman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) tallied two hits in three appearances while senior shortstop Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City), Rozanski, Carpenter and sophomore Hannah Zimmerman (Indianapolis, Ind./Scecina Memorial) all recorded a stolen base each.

Junior hurler Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) and Sanders combined for seven innings in the circle. Workman allowed for seven hits and walked eight, in addition to striking out a career-high 11 batters.

Ball State returns to action later today in a contest versus host USF at 2 p.m. The squad continues the tournament with matchups versus Michigan and Villanova at 3 pm and 8 p.m. Saturday. Ball State will complete its play in the tournament Sunday against East Tennessee State at noon.

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.