Baseball Drops Second Straight Heartbreaker To KSU

Saturday, March 31

Muncie, Ind.

1 p.m.

Ball State University

4-18, 1-4

Kent State

13-12, 5-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kent State	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	9	1
Ball State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	10	2

March 31, 2012 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE, Ind. - For the second straight day the Ball State baseball team suffered an extra-inning defeat as the Cardinals dropped a 4-2 contest in 11 innings to perennial Mid-American Conference power Kent State at Ball Diamond. Sophomore Sean Godfrey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) hit a towering home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings.

Ball State (4-18, 1-4 MAC) had the potential game-winning run 90 feet away for the second straight game as the Cardinals loaded the bases in the 10^th inning but could not bring the winning run home. Kent State used the momentum from that inning to take the lead in the top of the 11^th to improve to 5-0 in MAC play this season.

Kent State (13-12, 5-0 MAC) threatened first in the top of the second inning as it posted a leadoff single and a walk with one out to put a runner in scoring position. Sawyer Pollen followed with a single into right field but Godfrey charged the hit and made a perfect throw to home plate to easy get the Kent State base runner to end the threat.

Kent State broke through against sophomore right-hander T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) in the top of the third inning. Evan Campbell started the rally with a one-out bloop single in center field before Jimmy Rider hit his second home run of the series over the left field wall for a 2-0 KSU lead.

Ball State threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning against Kent State right-hander Ryan Bores. Junior Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) led off the inning with a single and moved to third on sophomore Mitch Overley's (Zionsville, Ind./Brebeuf) single to put runners on the corners. Kent State got out of the jam as it got an inning-ending double play to keep the Golden Flashes ahead 2-0.

Junior center fielder Wes Winkle (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games with an infield single in the eighth inning. Weir, who moved into the designated hitter role after pitching, lined a single into left field to put runners on the corners. Sophomore Cody Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) dropped an RBI single into right center field to make it a 2-1 contest. Bores was able to get out of the inning as he got Beemer to ground out to keep KSU in the lead.

Ball State was down to its final three outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but quickly tied the game. Godfrey led off the inning by crushing the first pitch he saw from Bores high over the left field wall for his first home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2 and send it into extra innings for the second straight game.

Ball State looked primed to win the game in the bottom of the 10^th inning as Winkle led off with a single and was quickly sacrificed into scoring position. Kent State decided to intentionally walk Weir to set up the double play but hit Campbell to load the bases with one out. Ball State attempted a suicide squeeze with the bases loaded but Beemer did not get the bunt down and Winkle was out at the plate to end the threat.

Kent State used the momentum from that play in the top of the 11^th inning against left-hander Devin Wilburn (Selma, Ind./Wapahani). Joe Koch led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a fielding error. Wilburn issued back-to-back walks to load the bases with just one out. Derek Toadvine fought off a two-strike pitch and blooped a single in front of Winkle in center field for the go-ahead run while Campbell put the Golden Flashes in front 4-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Wilburn (1-2) was charged with the loss as he allowed two runs on two hits in 1.0 innings of work. Weir got a no decision despite tying his career-high with 7.1 innings of work allowing two runs on seven hits. Left-hander Jon Cisna (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) added 2.2 no-hit innings of relief for the Cardinals.

Brian Clark (2-0) picked up the victory in relief working the final 1.2 innings and not allowing a hit. Bores got a no decision despite working 9.0 innings and allowed two runs on nine hits while striking out eight.

Ball State and Kent State return to action Sunday afternoon in the series finale. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Ball Diamond.

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