Ball State University
13-7
Loyola-Chicago
4-9
Softball Scores Saturday Split At Miami Invitational
March 18, 2012 | Softball
OXFORD, Ohio - - The Ball State softball team scored a Saturday split in its opening day of the Miami Invitational, falling to Loyola-Chicago (5-4) before rebounding to top Dayton (6-0) at the Miami Softball Stadium.
With the split, the Cardinals move to 14-7 on the season.
Sophomore third baseman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) led the Cardinals at the plate on the opening day of the Miami Invitational, going 3-for-7. She would also score two runs.
Sophomore first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and junior center fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana) each tallied their 13th career home runs on the day, with Rager going yard in the second contest, and Carpenter blasting hers in the opener.
Rager finished the day 2-for-6 with a team-high three RBI and one run score, while Carpenter was 2-for-7 with two RBI and two runs scored.
The Ball State softball team returns to action Sunday, when it plays both Loyola-Chicago (10 a.m.) and Niagara (Noon) on the final day of the Miami Invitational in Oxford, Ohio.
GAME 2 RECAP: Ball State 6, Dayton 0
OXFORD, Ohio - - The Ball State softball team used a five-run fifth inning and a solid performance on the mound from senior Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) to score a 6-0 win over Dayton in its second game of the day Saturday at the Miami Invitational.
In earning her third complete game shutout of the season, Workman improve to 7-5 in the circle by limiting the Flyers (8-11) to three hits over seven innings of work. Workman also threw a season-high eight strikeouts in the game, while walking just one batter.
Sophomore first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) blasted her team-leading sixth home run of the season, moving her career total to 13 which ties as the fourth-best career total in program history. She also drove in the game's final run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. Rager finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
Sophomore left fielder Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) opened the scoring with a two-run triple to right field. She finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Ball State opened the scoring in the top of the third with a five-run barrage. Freshman second baseman Taylor Cox (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a single from senior shortstop Alison Mercado (Perris, Calif./Arizona Western). Gilbert followed with a bases-clearing triple to drive in the first two runs.
Freshman designated player Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) followed with a RBI single through the right side, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. After a groundout, Rager belted a two-run shot over the center field wall making the score 5-0.
The Cardinals scored the game's final run in the top of the seventh thanks to an RBI single up the middle from Rager. Freshman pinch runner Haley Smith (Baytown, Texas/Lee) scored on the play, after moving to second on a groundout and reaching third on a wild pitch. Smith entered the game for Stuedemann who singled to left-center field.
Stuedemann, Mercado and sophomore third baseman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) also tallied a pair of hits each in the contest for Ball State.
GAME 1 RECAP: Loyola 5, Ball State 4
OXFORD, Ohio - Despite a two-for-three effort from junior center fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana), including her 13th career home run, the Ball State softball team suffered a 5-4 setback to Loyola-Chicago in its opening game at the Miami Invitational Saturday afternoon at the Miami Softball Stadium.
Carpenter, who now moves into a tie for fourth in program history with her 13th career home run, accounted for two of the Cardinals (13-7) four hits in the contest, while adding two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Junior catcher Sadie Robertson (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) blasted a two-run double to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth, finishing the day 1-for-2 with a walk and two RBI.
After being shut out by Miami prior to the start of this contest, the Ramblers (4-9) struck hard in the top of the first, using four straight hits to score three runs. With one out, Jessica Balzano singled up the middle and came home to score on a double from Lauren Moore. A single from Brooke Anderson brought Moore home from second, while a double from Tarren Shaffer drove in the final run of the inning.
Ball State took two of the runs back in the in the bottom of the second thanks to a one-out, two-run home run to dead center from Carpenter. Sophomore first baseman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) scored on the blast after reaching base with a single.
Loyola regained a two-run lead, at 4-2, in the top of the fourth when a bases loaded fielder's choice from Lauren Arceneaux drove in Annie Korth who led off the inning with a single.
Junior catcher Sadie Robertson (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) tied the score in the bottom half of the fourth with a two-run double down the left field line. Bickel would reach base on a fielder's choice, while Carpenter deposited the ball into center field for a single to set up Robertson's game-tying double.
Unfortunately, the Ramblers pushed the winning run across the plate in the top of the seventh thanks to three straight two-out singles from Korth, Keali Engelkens and Lauren Zaworski.
Senior pitcher Kim Mazzapica (Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake) suffered just her second loss of the season in the circle, falling to 7-2, after allowing five runs and 12 hits over seven innings of work.
Brittany Gardner earned the win for Loyola, giving up four runs and four hits over seven innings. She also struck out eight batters.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gardner, Brittany (2-4)
L: Mazzapica, Kim (7-2)
Batting:
2B: Moore, Lauren 1 ; Shaffer, Tarran 1 ; Bentley, Emily 1
RBI: Arceneaux, Lauren 1 ; Moore, Lauren 1 ; Andresen, Brooke 1 ; Shaffer, Tarran 1 ; Zaworski, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Balzano, Jessica 1 ; Moore, Lauren 1 ; Andresen, Brooke 1 ; Korth, Annie 2
SB: Korth, Annie 1
Batting:
2B: Robertson, Sadie 1
HR: Carpenter, Amanda 1
RBI: Carpenter, Amanda 2 ; Robertson, Sadie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Bickel, Audrey 2 ; Carpenter, Amanda 2
SB: Cihlar, Loren 1
