Ball State University
12-32, 8-13
Northern Illinois (DH)
24-22, 13-9
Baseball Splits Doubleheader At Northern Illinois
May 15, 2011 | Baseball
DEKALB, Ill. - The Ball State baseball team split a doubleheader against Mid-American Conference foe Northern Illinois Saturday as the Cardinals dropped game one 10-9 before claiming a split with a 13-7 victory at Ralph McKenzie Field. Ball State improves to 9-13 in MAC play on the year while the Huskies fall to 13-10 in league action.
Senior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led the Cardinals offensively in the twinbill as he was 5-for-8 on the afternoon. Baumet posted three doubles and a home run on the afternoon, while driving in four runs and stealing two bases.
Game One - Northern Illinois 10, Ball State 9
The Ball State baseball team battled back from an early seven-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning, but the Northern Illinois Huskies secured a walk-off 10-9 victory Saturday afternoon in game one of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader at Ralph McKenzie Field. The loss snaps the Cardinals' six-game winning streak against the Huskies and marks their first loss in DeKalb since 2002.
Northern Illinois jumped out of the gate quickly against junior right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) as the Huskies took advantage of a pivotal BSU fielding error. NIU posted five runs in the bottom of the first inning, three of which came on a three-run home run by Jeff Zimmerman, after a fielding error allowed the inning to continue.
The Huskies extended their lead to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Cardinals opened the inning with an error allowing the leadoff batter to reach base before Alex Jones doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Bowling then issued three straight walks allowing two runs to score before getting out of the inning with the bases loaded.
Ball State finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning against NIU starter Zach Oates as it scored six runs to narrow the deficit to 7-6. Freshman T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) led off the inning with a single and moved to third when Kevin Franchetti (Highland, Ind./Andrean) reached on an error. Junior Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) drove in the Cardinals' first run with a single to center field.
The Cardinals added another run on a ground out before Tim Issler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) drew a walk. Sophomore Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) made it a 6-3 game as he singled down the left field like to score Elliott. Freshman Kenny Mahala (Highland, Ind./Andrean) capped the inning as he hit a three-run home run over the right center field fence to pull the Cardinals within one run.
Northern Illinois came back out in the seventh inning and tacked on two more runs as Zimmerman hit a two-run home run to end Bowling's afternoon.
The Cardinals were not deterred as they responded with three runs in the top of the eighth inning against the NIU bullpen to tie the game. Issler started things off with his second career home run, both of which have come at Northern Illinois (5/10/09), to narrow the deficit to 9-7.
After Beemer was hit by a pitch, Baumet doubled down the left field line to make it a one-run contest. The Cardinals tied the game as Baumet stole third base and came home to score as Kyle Glancy uncorked a wild pitch to knot the game at 9-9.
Ball State threatened in the top of the ninth inning as Franchetti drew a leadoff walk. Sophomore Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) came on to pinch run for Franchetti and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a fly ball to center field. Glancy kept the Cardinals off the board as he struck out Issler to strand the go ahead run 90 feet away.
The Huskies started the bottom of the ninth inning off by drawing a leadoff walk and single off right-hander Michael Sandman (Newark, Ohio/Utica). After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners in to scoring position, the Cardinals intentionally walked Brett Frantini to load the bases with one out. Alex Beckman drove in the game-winning run as he lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Troy White for the 10-9 NIU victory.
Sandman (1-3) was charged with the loss in relief as he allowed one run on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. Bowling got a no decision after tossing 6.1 innings and allowing nine runs, five of which were earned. Glancy (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he tossed the final 1.1 innings of shutout baseball for the Huskies.
Game Two - Ball State 13, Northern Illinois 7
The Ball State baseball team posted a nine-run seventh inning on its way to a 13-7 victory over hosting Northern Illinois in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader. The victory snaps the Cardinals' eight-game losing streak and keeps them in the hunt for the final spot in the 2011 MAC Tournament. Ball State trails Western Michigan by 1.5 games with four league contests left in the season.
Ball State opened the scoring in the top of the second inning against NIU left-hander Tom Barry. Baumet led off the inning with a double into right field and came home to score as freshman Cody Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) ripped an RBI-single into right field. The Cardinals opened to a 2-0 lead as Franchetti singled Campbell into scoring position before Elliott drove him in with a run-scoring single into right field.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 with two more runs in the sixth inning. Baumet led off the inning with a double and came home to score as Weir tripled into the right center field gap. Ball State ran its lead to four as Campbell posted his second run-scoring single of the game to plate Weir.
Northern Illinois finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning against senior left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail). The Huskies scored six runs on five hits in the inning and took advantage of a BSU error to take a 6-4 lead.
Ball State had a huge answer in the top of the seventh inning as it sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs on six hits to take a 13-6 lead. Elliott led off the inning with a walk and moved to third as junior Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) singled. The Cardinals scored their first run of the inning on a wild pitch before Beemer posted an infield RBI single to tie the game at 6-6.
Baumet put the Cardinals in front for good as he crushed a 2-0 pitch high over the center field wall for a three-run home run, his team-leading fifth of the year. The Cardinals kept the bats going as Elliott posted a two-run double and Issler wrapped up the inning with an RBI-single. The nine runs scored is the largest single-inning output of the season for Ball State.
Northern Illinois added one run in the bottom of the seventh inning against right-hander Seth Hobbs (Marseilles, Ill./Seneca). The Huskies threatened for more but Hobbs slammed the door shut to keep the Cardinals in the lead.
Hobbs (1-1) picked up his first victory of the season as he worked 3.0 innings of one-run relief as he allowed seven hits and struck out three batters. Grabner got a no decision after working 5.2 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits.
The Cardinals and Huskies will close out the three-game MAC series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. (CT) with freshman left-hander Devin Wilburn (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) set to make his second career start for the Cardinals.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GLANCY (1-0)
L: Sandman, Michael (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Baumet, T.J. 1
HR: Issler, Tim 1 ; Mahala, Kenny 1
RBI: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Widau, Mitch 1 ; Issler, Tim 1 ; Beemer, Blake 1 ; Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Mahala, Kenny 3
SH: Elliott, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Issler, Tim 2 ; Beemer, Blake 2 ; Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Mahala, Kenny 1 ; Weir, T.J. 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1
SB: Baumet, T.J. 1
HBP: Beemer, Blake 1
Batting:
2B: WELLS 1
HR: ZIMMERMAN 2
RBI: JONES 1 ; ETCHEVERRY J 1 ; WHITE 2 ; ZIMMERMAN 5 ; BECKMANN 1
SH: SANCHEZ 1
SF: BECKMANN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WELLS 1 ; KRUPP 1 ; JONES 1 ; ETCHEVERRY J 2 ; WHITE 2 ; ZIMMERMAN 2 ; FRANTINI 1
SB: KRUPP 1 ; JONES 1
CS: WELLS 1
