Ball State University
1-6
Coastal Carolina
6-4
Baseball Falls At No. 27 Coastal Carolina, 11-1
March 05, 2011 | Baseball
CONWAY, S.C. - The Ball State baseball team opened the 2011 Caravelle Resort Invitational Friday night with an 11-1 loss to tournament host and No. 27 Coastal Carolina at Watson Stadium. The Cardinals continue play in the tournament Saturday as they face Marshall at 3:30 p.m. and Quinnipiac at 7 p.m.
Coastal Carolina (6-4) right-hander Anthony Meo (1-1) picked up the victory as he worked 5.0 innings of three-hit baseball while striking out eight batters. Meo combined with three other Chanticleer pitchers to limit the Cardinals to just three hits in the victory while striking out 14 batters.
Ball State (1-6) opened the scoring as it plated a run in the top of the second inning. Freshman Kenny Mahala (Highland, Ind./Andrean) led off the inning with a double in his first career at-bat while sophomore Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) drew a walk to put two aboard. Senior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) put the Cardinals in front 1-0 as he ripped a run-scoring single to plate Mahala.
Coastal Carolina answered back in the bottom half of the inning against freshman right-hander Jacob Brewer (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) who was making his first career start. The Chanticleers took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning as they took advantage of three Brewer walks to take a 4-1 lead.
Coastal Carolina sent nine men to the plate in the fourth inning and took advantage of two errors to score six runs for a 10-1 lead. The Chanticleers closed out the scoring with a run in the fifth inning for the 11-1 margin of victory.
Brewer (0-2) was charged with the loss as he allowed four runs on two hits in 2.0 innings of work. He issued five walks and struck out two batters. Freshman left-hander Nestor Bautista (New York, N.Y./George Washington) tossed the final 3.0 innings of shutout baseball as he limited Coastal Carolina to just two hits while striking out five without issuing a walk. Mahala and Baumet led the Cardinals offensively as they each posted a hit in the loss as Ball State was held to three hits overall.
Ball State returns to action Saturday afternoon in the Caravelle Resort Invitational as it faces Conference USA foe Marshall at 3:30 p.m. Senior left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail) will get the call on the mound against the Thundering Herd.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MEO, A. (1-1)
L: Brewer, Jacob (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Mahala, Kenny 1
RBI: Baumet, T.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mahala, Kenny 1
SB: Campbell, Kirby 1
Batting:
2B: WOODWARD, S. 1 ; WITTEN, R. 1 ; FIDANZA, J. 1
RBI: MOTTER, T. 1 ; La STELLA 1 ; BOWMAN, D. 1 ; WITTEN, R. 5 ; FIDANZA, J. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: WOODWARD, S. 2 ; ORTON, H. 2 ; MOTTER, T. 2 ; BOWMAN, D. 2 ; WITTEN, R. 1 ; MARTIN, T. 1 ; CONWAY, J. 1
SB: WOODWARD, S. 1 ; ORTON, H. 1
CS: WOODWARD, S. 1
HBP: WOODWARD, S. 1
