Ball State University
3-14, 0
Akron
8-13, 0
Baseball's Rally Falls Short At Akron, 6-3
March 25, 2012 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio - The Ball State baseball team rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning but dropped its second game of the Mid-American Conference season-opening series to Akron 6-3 Saturday afternoon at Canal Park, the home of the Cleveland Indians' Double-A affiliate Akron Aeros.
Sophomore right-hander T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) picked up the loss as he allowed six runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings. He worked his first five innings of shutout baseball before running out of gas in the sixth inning. Weir also tallied a pair of hits in the loss from the cleanup spot in the lineup.
Akron starter Pat Dyer (2-1) picked up the victory as he worked 7.0 shutout innings, limiting the Cardinals to just six hits while striking out five. Dan Becks worked the final 2.0 innings for the Zips and allowed three runs on four hits before getting the game's final out in the ninth inning.
Akron (8-13, 2-0 MAC) was held scoreless until the sixth inning before it chased Weir from the game. The Zips scored six runs in the sixth inning as they posted seven singles in the frame, including six consecutive base hits at one point in the inning.
Ball State was held in check for the first eight innings despite having a base runner in seven of the first eight frames. The Cardinals finally struck against the Zips for the first time in the series in the top of the ninth inning.
Weir led off the inning with a walk and moved to third base as Dominick Catanzarite (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) singled up the middle. Sophomore Cody Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) drove in the Cardinals first run as he lifted a sacrifice fly into right field.
Freshman Brandon Estep (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) kept the rally going as he reached on an infield single. Sophomore Sean Godfrey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) pulled the Cardinals within three at 6-3 as he lined a two-run double down the right field line. Becks was able to get the final out of the game as the Cardinals had the game-tying run in the on-deck circle.
Ball State and Akron will wrap up its three-game series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Canal Park with junior right-hander Chris Marangon (Maple Valley, Wash./Edmunds CC) set to take the hill for the Cardinals.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DYER, P. (2-1)
L: Weir, T.J. (0-5)
Batting:
2B: Campbell, Cody 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 1
RBI: Campbell, Cody 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 2
SH: Issler, Tim 1
SF: Campbell, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Weir, T.J. 1 ; Catanzarite, Dominick 1 ; James, Jarrett 1
CS: Winkle, Wes 1
HBP: Beemer, Blake 1
PO: Winkle, Wes 1
Batting:
RBI: GAMBY, K. 1 ; STEWART, B. 1 ; BURANT, D. 1 ; WASHINGTON 1 ; REMBIELAK, M 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BEGUN, T. 1 ; TRECASO, S. 1 ; GAMBY, K. 1 ; STEWART, B. 1 ; BURANT, D. 1 ; WASHINGTON 1
CS: WATKINS, S. 1
HBP: BEGUN, T. 1
