Ball State University
1-9
Coastal Carolina
8-4
Baseball Falls To No. 24 Coastal Carolina
March 08, 2011 | Baseball
CONWAY, S.C. - The Ball State baseball team wrapped up the 2011 Caravelle Resort Invitational Monday evening as the Cardinals dropped a 10-2 decision to tournament host and No. 24 Coastal Carolina at Watson Stadium. The Chanticleers improve to 8-4 on the season while Ball State falls to 1-9 on the year.
Coastal Carolina limited the Cardinals to just two hits in the loss as four pitchers combined to strike out 12 batters. Left-hander Jim Birmingham (1-1) picked up the victory as he tossed 6.0 innings of two-hit baseball and allowed just two unearned runs. Ball State junior right-hander Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) fell to 0-2 on the year as he allowed three runs on five hits in 3.0 innings of work.
The Chanticleers opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as they plated three runs on four hits and took advantage of a BSU error. Tommy La Stella posted an RBI single while Daniel Bowman drove in a run with a run-scoring double.
The Cardinals battled back and narrowed the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) led off the inning as he reached on a fielding error and moved to second as Tim Issler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) singled through the left side.
Sophomore Kevin Franchetti (Highland, Ind./Andrean) dropped down a sacrifice bunt that Coastal Carolina misplayed allowing Beemer to score from second base. Senior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) made it a one run game as he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Issler.
Coastal Carolina answered back with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, a run in the sixth, two in the seventh and three in the eighth inning to take a 10-2 lead. The Cardinals used four relievers over the final six innings who allowed seven runs on eight hits and five walks.
Ball State returns to action tomorrow afternoon as it travels to Charleston, S.C., for a midweek contest against the Citadel. Freshman left-hander Devin Wilburn (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) will make his first career start for the Cardinals.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: BIRMINGHAM (1-1)
L: Elliott, Cody (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: Baumet, T.J. 1
SH: Weir, T.J. 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1 ; Winkle, Wes 1
SF: Baumet, T.J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Beemer, Blake 1 ; Issler, Tim 1
Batting:
2B: WOODWARD, S. 1 ; BOWMAN, D. 2
HR: La STELLA 1
RBI: La STELLA 3 ; BOWMAN, D. 1 ; MOTTER, T. 1 ; McALLISTER 1 ; MAY, J. 1
SH: FIDANZA, J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WOODWARD, S. 1 ; ORTON, H. 1 ; La STELLA 2 ; WITTEN, R. 2 ; BOWMAN, D. 1 ; MOTTER, T. 1 ; CONWAY, J. 1 ; FIDANZA, J. 1
SB: MAY, J. 1
HBP: WOODWARD, S. 1 ; CONWAY, J. 1
