Baseball Falls To Kent State In 10 Innings

Friday, March 30

Muncie, Ind.

3 p.m.

Ball State University

4-17, 1-3

Kent State

12-12, 4-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kent State	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	7	15	2
Ball State	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	4	9	2

Baseball Set to Open Friday at Middle Tennessee

March 30, 2012 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team rallied from a late two-run deficit to force extra innings before falling to perennial Mid-American Conference power Kent State 7-4 in 10 innings Friday afternoon at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals brought the potential game-winning run to third base in the bottom of the ninth inning but could not score the run sending the game into extra frames where KSU got a three-run home run from David Lyon to win the game.

Kent State (12-12, 4-0 MAC) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning against senior right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown). Lyon drew a two-out walk and advanced into scoring position as Bowling uncorked a wild pitch. George Roberts drove in the game's first run as he lined a single up the middle to give KSU an early 1-0 lead.

Ball State (4-17, 1-3 MAC) tied the game in the bottom of the second inning against left-hander David Starn as it took advantage of a pair of Kent State errors. Sophomore Sean Godfrey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) reached base on a fielding error and quickly stole two bases. After a walk to freshman Elbert Devarie (Kissimmee, Fla./Gateway) put runners on the corners, the Cardinals sent Devarie on the steal attempt but the Kent State catcher threw the ball away trying to get Godfrey at third allowing him to come home to score tying the game at 1-1.

Ball State took its first lead of the afternoon in the third inning after Bowling struck out the side in the top half of the inning. Junior Wes Winkle (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led off the inning with a double down the left field line to extend his hitting streak to 11 straight games. Sophomore T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) put the Cardinals in front 2-1 as he doubled down the left field line to plate Winkle.

Kent State tied the game in the top of the fourth inning as Sawyer Polen single and Jason Bagoly doubled to lead off the inning. Bowling issued a one-out walk to load the bases but worked out of the jam limiting the damage to just one run on a fielder's choice to tie the game at 2-2.

The Golden Flashes took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning as Jimmy Rider led off with a solo home run over the right center field wall. Kent State manufactured another run taking advantage of the hit by pitch and a RBI single by Polen.

Ball State chipped away at the deficit in the bottom half of the fifth inning as sophomore Mitch Overley (Zionsville, Ind./Brebeuf) led off the inning with a double off the left field wall. The double was the first extra-base hit of Overley's career. Starn got two outs in the inning before sophomore Cody Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) lined an RBI single into center field to make it a 4-3 contest.

Kent State threatened in the top of the sixth inning as it led off with back-to-back singles. Bowling worked out of the jam as he induced a ground ball double play from Rider before getting out of the inning with a fly ball into right field to keep it a one-run contest.

After a 62-minute rain delay in the top of the eighth inning, the Cardinals tied the game in the bottom half of the inning against KSU reliever Ryan Mace. Campbell led off the inning with a double off the left center field wall before giving way to pinch runner Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan).

Junior Dominick Catanzarite (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Campbell to third base. Junior Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) battled in his at-bat and lifted a sacrifice fly into left field on a 1-2 pitch to drive in the game-tying run at 4-4.

Kent State threatened again in the top of the ninth inning as Polen led off with a single. Marangon won the battle against Bagoly getting him to fly out into foul territory on the ninth pitch of the at-bat before getting an inning-ending double play to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Ball State had its chance in the bottom of the ninth as Overley led off with an opposite field double. After a sacrifice bunt moved the potential game-winning run to third, Kent State opted to load the bases with two intentional walks. Kent State closer Casey Wilson came on and got a ground ball and a strike out to strand the bases loaded sending the game into extra innings.

Kent State opened the 10^th inning with momentum and got a pinch-hit leadoff single from Blake Bellman. After two outs, Marangon issued a walk before Lyon ripped a three-run home run over the right field wall to give the Golden Flashes a 7-4 lead.

Marangon (0-3) picked up the loss as he allowed three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings of relief as he struck out five. Bowling went 6.0 innings and allowed four runs on 11 hits while striking out six in the no decision. Wilson (1-0) picked up the victory in relief as he worked the final 1.2 innings of shutout baseball without allowing a hit, including his escape of the ninth inning jam.

Ball State and Kent State will continue its three-game series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ball Diamond.

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