Ball State University
7-21, 5-3
Bowling Green (DH)
10-16, 4-4
Baseball Splits Sunday Doubleheader Against BGSU
April 10, 2011 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team suffered its first Mid-American Conference series loss of the season as the Cardinals split a Sunday doubleheader to Bowling Green. The Cardinals won the first game of the twin bill 13-4 before dropping the second game and the series 10-5 at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals end the doubleheader with a 7-22 overall record and a 5-4 MAC record while the Falcons improve to 11-16 and 5-4 in league action.
Freshman first baseman Kenny Mahala (Highland, Ind./Andrean) tallied three home runs and drove in 10 runs in the doubleheader to lead the Cardinals. He posted two grand slams and eight RBI in the first game of the twin bill before posting a two-run home run in the second game of the double dip.
Game One - Ball State 13, Bowling Green 4
Ball State freshman first baseman Kenny Mahala (Highland, Ind./Andrean) drove in a career-high eight runs as he pounded grand slams in back-to-back innings to lead the Cardinals to a 13-4 victory over visiting Bowling Green in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader at Ball Diamond.
Mahala, who entered the game with three RBI on the year, recorded eight RBI in two at-bats in the third and fourth innings. His eight RBI is a season-high for a BSU player this season and the most since Ian Nielsen posted eight RBI one year ago to the day against Bowling Green in the Cardinals' 32-10 victory.
Bowling Green struck early against senior right-hander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind./Lincoln Trail) as Frank Berry and Andrew Kubiski led off with back-to-back singles. After a ground ball got the first out of the inning, BGSU designated hitter Matt Pitzulo connected on a three-run home run over the right center field wall for the early 3-0 Bowling Green lead.
Ball State broke out in the bottom of the third inning as it scored five runs to chase BGSU starter Nick Bruns from the game. Freshman Sean Godfrey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) led off the inning with a single and moved to second as junior Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) singled through the left side.
Bruns walked senior T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) to load the bases before junior Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) blooped a single over the shortstop's head to score the Cardinals' first run of the afternoon.
Ball State took over the lead as Mahala unloaded on a 1-1 pitch high over the left center field wall for a grand slam giving the Cardinals their first lead of the afternoon at 5-3. The home run was the first of Mahala's career and the Cardinals' second grand slam in as many MAC weekends as Elliott hit a grand slam last Saturday against Miami.
The Cardinals added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning against BGSU reliever Ross Gerdeman. Godfrey led off the inning with his first career home run high over the scoreboard in left center field for a 6-3 Ball State lead.
Elliott kept the inning going as he singled into center field before Gerdeman issued back-to-back walks to Baumet and Widau to load the bases. The Cardinals and Mahala struck once again as he crushed his second grand slam of the game high over the left center field wall for a 10-3 lead.
Ball State extended its lead to 13-3 with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to chase Gerdeman from the game. Sophomore Stephen Claypool (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child) led off the inning with a single and moved to second as Godfrey drew a four-pitch walk. Baumet gave the Cardinals a double-digit lead as he lifted his team-leading third home run over the left field wall for a three-run shot off reliever Levi Fisher.
Bowling Green was held to just one run over the final eight innings as four Cardinal pitchers combined to post seven zeroes after the three-run first inning. Coombs (3-3) picked up the victory as he worked 6.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits as he struck out five batters. Freshman T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) worked a scoreless inning while classmate Jacob Brewer (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) added two scoreless innings of relief.
Bruns (2-2) was charged with the loss as he was pegged with five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings of work while Gerdeman allowed seven runs on four hits in 1.2 innings for the Falcons.
Game Two - Bowling Green 10, Ball State 5
Bowling Green scored 10 unanswered runs at one point against the Ball State baseball team to take home a 10-5 victory over the Cardinals in the series finale. Clay Duncan drove in five runs for the Falcons while Ryan Schlatter tallied four RBI as BGSU posted two grand slams.
Ball State struck first against Bowling Green right-hander Charles Wooten in the bottom of the fourth inning. Widau got things going as he poked an opposite field single down the left field line with two outs and took advantage of a miss relay throw by the BGSU left fielder to move into scoring position. Mahala struck again as he crushed his third home run of the afternoon high over the left field wall to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Bowling Green answered back in the top of the fifth inning against senior left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail). The Falcons loaded the bases courtesy of a base hit, error and a walk before Ryan Schlatter put the Falcons in front 4-2 as he hit a grand slam off the scoreboard in left center field for his fourth home run of the year.
The Falcons added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning against the Ball State bullpen. Ryan Schlatter led off the inning with a walk and moved to third as Jon Berti reached on a single. After a strikeout, Clay Duncan doubled to right field driving in Schlatter but the Cardinals threw out Berti at the plate. Logan Walker put the Falcons in front 6-2 as he poked a single through the left side scoring Duncan.
Bowling Green broke the game open in the top of the eighth inning against right-hander Seth Hobbs (Marseilles, Ill./Seneca). The Falcons quickly loaded the bases with a double by Andrew Kubuski, a walk to Frank Berry and a fielding error by Hobbs. After getting the next two batters out, Clay Duncan hit the Falcons' second grand slam of the game over the batter's eye in center field for a 10-2 lead.
The Cardinals scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning against BGSU reliever Mike Frank. Elliott pulled the Cardinals within five runs as he hit his third home run of the season over the left field wall with two outs in the last frame.
Grabner (0-3) picked up the loss as he allowed four runs on 4.2 innings as he was the first of six Ball State pitchers to see the mound. Wooten (2-4) picked up the victory for the Falcons as he worked 6.0 innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out eight batters.
Ball State continues its five-game home stretch Tuesday afternoon as it hosts Big Ten foe Purdue. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Ball Diamond.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: COOMBS, Morgan (3-3)
L: BRUNS, Nick (2-2)
Batting:
2B: PITZULO, Matt 1
HR: PITZULO, Matt 1
RBI: PITZULO, Matt 3 ; MARTIN, Patrick 1
SF: MARTIN, Patrick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KUBUSKI, Andrew 1 ; BERTI, Jon 1 ; PITZULO, Matt 2
HBP: BERRY, Frank 1 ; THOMAS, Jake 1 ; DUNCAN, Clay 1
PO: THOMAS, Jake 1 ; SCHLATER, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Baumet, T.J. 1
3B: Beemer, Blake 1
HR: Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Mahala, Kenny 2 ; Godfrey, Sean 1
RBI: Baumet, T.J. 3 ; Widau, Mitch 1 ; Mahala, Kenny 8 ; Godfrey, Sean 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Cody 2 ; Baumet, T.J. 3 ; Widau, Mitch 2 ; Mahala, Kenny 2 ; Claypool, Stephen 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 3
SB: Elliott, Cody 1
CS: Beemer, Blake 1
