Softball Defeats Monmouth, UCF in Midweek Matchups

Tuesday, March 8

Orlando, Fla.

2:00 p.m.

Ball State University

10-5

Monmouth University

4-6

Monmouth

Ball State

March 09, 2011 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Ball State Athletics

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Ball State softball team took two contests from Monmouth, 6-2, and Central Florida, 7-5, at the UCF Softball Complex to improve to 11-5 on the season.

Ball State outhit Monmouth, 8-6, and completed the contest with no errors versus the Hawks' four. In the bottom of the second inning, senior third baseman Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) singled through the right side, advanced to second and third base and then scored after junior second baseman Alison Mercado (Perris, Calif./Arizona Western) drove her in off a base hit to left field.

Monmouth evened the score in the top of the fourth inning after sophomore Christine Scherr's base hit to right field drove freshman Shannon Fitzgerald in to score.

Ball State responded in the bottom of the fifth inning as Mercado struck out, but reached first base on an error by Monmouth's catcher, stole second base, advanced to third and scored after freshman Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas, McKinney) smacked a home run into right field.

In the top of the sixth inning, Scherr singled to right center field and drove in freshman Alicia DeSanto to score Monmouth's second and final run of the contest. In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) whacked a home run into right center field to ignite a three-run spark for the Cardinals and close out the scoring for the contest.

Sophomore Hannah Zimmerman (Indianapolis, Ind./Scecina Memorial) pinch ran for Wilczynski after she singled through the left side and freshman first baseman Taylor Rager's (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) double down the fight field line, advancing Wilczynski to third. Zimmerman scored on a throwing error by Monmouth's Sherr at second base, then Mercado's RBI-bunt brought freshman Katrina Morales (Whittier, Calif./St. Paul), pinch running for Rager, home.

Versus Monmouth, Gilbert and Montalto led the Ball State charge, as Gilbert went 2-for-4, while Montalto tallied one hit in three appearances. Mercado also had a standout showing, going 2-for-3, in addition to stealing two bases.

Pitchers Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) and Kim Mazzapica (Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake) combined for over six innings in the circle, as the duo allowed for six hits, walked three and fanned eight Hawks batters.

Against host UCF, Gilbert opened up the scoring for Ball State in the top of the first inning as her double to right field drove in Rozanski and senior shortstop Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) to score the Cardinals' first two runs of the matchup. Then freshman third baseman Audrey Bickel's (Munster, Ind./Andrean) RBI-double to left field allowed Gilbert to come around to home plate and Bickel soon advanced to scoring position from a wild pitch to Rager. A base-hit to left field was all that was needed to score Bickel and push the Cardinals' opening lead to 4-0.

Ball State come back in the second inning after Barkley scored on a passed ball. Then, in the top of the fifth inning, Bickel's base-hit through the right side scored senior rights fielder Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon) and a Rager double to right center field brought Gilbert back around.

Senior outfielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Daytona Beach CC), Gilbert and Rager all went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Bickel tallied two hits in three appearances. Gilbert also recorded two doubles, and Rager and Bickel tallied one apiece.

Mazzapica and sophomore hurler Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) allowed for 11 hits in just over six innings, while walking three and striking out two.

Ball State returns to action this weekend with matchups against Long Island, Connecticut, Quinnipiac, Florida and St. Joseph's in the Under Armour Showcase, starting Friday at 5:30 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla.

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.