Softball Sweeps Toledo in Friday Twin Bill

Friday, April 29

Toledo, Ohio

1:00 p.m.

Ball State University

31-17, 11-3

Toledo (DH)

8-32, 3-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ball State	1	2	0	3	1	0	0	7	14	0
Toledo	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	5	2

April 29, 2011 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State Softball improved to 32-17 overall and 12-3 in the Mid-American Conference after defeating Toledo (8-33, 3-11 MAC) in a twin bill Friday afternoon at the Scott Park Softball Complex.

The Cardinals won the first game, 7-1, then went on to defeat the Rockets, 13-3, in five innings in the second contest.

In the first game with two outs, freshman first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) led Ball State in the top of the first as her single to right field scored senior right fielder Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon), who got on base after singling up the middle.

The Cardinals put two runs on the board in the top of the second after junior second baseman Alison Mercado (Perris, Calif./Arizona Western) sent a base hit through the right side and stole second base.

Then, Collins homered to right field to drive in Mercado and give the Cardinals the early 3-0 lead. The home run marked Collins' first on the season and in her career.

Returning in the fourth, Mercado singled to center field and scored senior center fielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla./Daytona Beach CC), who got on base after a base-hit and advanced to second on an error by Toledo's center fielder.

Then, junior catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) singled to center field to bring home senior shortstop Alicia Barkley (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City), who reached on a fielder's choice, and Mercado.

Then, in the top of the fifth with one out, sophomore left fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) hit a home run to left field, her second on the season, and Toledo returned the favor right away in the bottom of the inning after Alyssa Foy sent a home run sailing to center field to end the scoring for the game.

Sophomore pitcher Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) improved to 17-10 on the season with the win for the Cardinals. After seven innings of work, Sanders gave up one run off four hits, while striking out one batter.

In game two, Ball State outhit Toledo, 15-5, in five innings. The Cardinals were the first to the scoreboard in the first inning as Rager singled to left field and scored Collins, who got on base after doubling to right field.

Then, freshman Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) tripled to left field to drive in Rager and Carpenter's single to center field scored Gilbert. Carpenter was then the fourth Cardinal to cross the plate after Rozanski brought her home on a base-hit to left field.

The Rockets returned in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer from Fay, her second on the day, but Montalto came back in the second with a home run to right field, her 10th on the season to drive in Barkley.

Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, a Rozanski triple to right center field brought in senior third baseman Kate Wilczynski (Tucson, Ariz./Canyon Del Oro) and Gilbert, who were both hit by a pitch, and Carpenter, who reached on a fielder's choice, to put the Cardinals up 10-3.

The hot hitting continued in the top of the third as Rager slugged her sixth home run of the season to center field to drive in Barkley and bring reliever Jen Solanics into the circle.

Ball State added one more in the fourth, securing the run rule after the fifth inning to win the game, 13-3, as Montalto's base-hit though the left side scored Collins.

Credited with the win, junior hurler Kim Mazzapica (Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake) improved to 7-1 on the mound with the win after five innings of work, allowing five hits and striking out one Rockets batter.

Ball State Softball continues on to Bowling Green for Saturday and Sunday matchups at Meserve Softball Field at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. The squad then returns to the BSU Softball Complex next weekend for its final contests of the regular season, as the squad hosts Western Michigan and Northern Illinois.

Ball State's seniors - Barkley, Collins, Rozanski, Kristy Stratton (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw) and Wilczynski - will be recognized Sunday, which has been designated Senior Day at the park.