Softball?s Montalto Breaks Home Run Record in CMU DH

Sunday, April 17

Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

2:00 p.m.

Ball State University

26-16, 0

Central Michigan

23-13, 0

Ball State

Central Michigan

Softball?s Montalto Breaks Home Run Record in CMU DH

April 18, 2011 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Ball State Athletics

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Junior catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) tallied two home runs on the day, moving into sole possession of first place in program history as the Ball State softball team split a doubleheader with Mid-American Conference foe Central Michigan Sunday Afternoon at Margo Jonker Stadium.

The Cardinals (27-16, 7-3) fell to the Chippewas (23-14,), 9-5, in the first game and then went on to defeat their opponent, 5-2, in the second contest.

With 20 bombs and nine on the season, Montalto sits at first place in the record book, just one over former Cardinal Abby Gross' (2005-08) career record of 19 career home runs, also breaking her 2010 single season total of eight.

Right away in the top of the first, Montalto led Ball State after blasting a home run to right field, driving in seniors Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City) and Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon), who both got on base after two singles.

Central Michigan then added eight runs in the first, third and fourth innings to increase the scoring margin to 8-3. Before the end of the first, Central Michigan scored the equalizer after Molly Coldren's 3-RBI double to left field scored Amanda Patrick, Brittini Merchant and Macy Merchant.

Then, in the bottom of the third stanza, Amanda Klosterman's double to right center field drove in Kari Seddon, Patrick and Raechel Zahrn, and Patrick reached on an error by Ball State second baseman Alison Mercado (Perris, Calif./Arizona Western) to score Summer Knoop and Brittney Horan in the fourth stanza.

The Cardinals had one out in the top of the sixth frame as freshman Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) reached on a fielder's choice and senior third baseman Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) drew a walk off the Chippewas' Kara Dornbos.

With Gilbert in scoring position, senior center fielder Lisa Rozanski's (Tampa, Fla./Daytona Beach CC) base-hit to right field brought her home.

Central Michigan added a run in the sixth as Brittini Merchant doubled to center field, driving in Knoop on the play.

Ball State answered back in the top of the seventh after freshman first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) singled to right field, scoring Barkley, who got on base after a single up the middle.

Junior pitcher Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) tallied the loss on the mound after 2.1 innings of work, giving up five runs and walking four batters, falling to 8-6 on the season.

The Cardinals' hot bats continued in the second game as Collins singled to right field and advanced to second on a passed ball. Then, Montalto knocked a two-run homer, her second on the day, into right field, driving home Collins.

BSU returned in the second with one out as Rozanski drew a walk off Dornbos and advanced to second off Mercado's at-bat, a ground-out to third. Then, Collins drove Rozanski in off an RBI-single to right field to put the Cardinals up 3-0.

Ball State added two more runs in the fourth frame after Mercado and Rozanski scored on an error by Klosterman at first base.

Central Michigan answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning as Cory DeLamielleur blasted a home run to left field, driving in Coldren and Horan to close the scoring for the contest.

Junior hurler Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) earned the win for the Cardinals after 7.0 innings of work, allowing eight hits and striking out two Chippewas batters to improve to 14-9 on the season. Dornbos suffered the loss for Central Michigan in the circle after 3.2 innings of work.

Head coach Craig Nicholson and the squad head to Bloomington, Ind. for a midweek contest with Indiana at 3 p.m. Wednesday, before returning to the BSU Softball Complex for a MAC home double header with Kent State Friday, starting at 1 p.m.