Ball State University
11-6
Northern Colorado
9-7
Softball Scores 9-1 Win Over Northern Colorado
March 09, 2012 | Softball
DELAND, Fla. - - The Ball State softball team continued its hot hitting in a 9-1, six-inning victory over Northern Colorado in its first game of the Stetson Classic Friday afternoon at Stetson's Patricia Wilson Field.
The Cardinals (11-6) return to action later this evening with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. first pitch versus tournament hosts Stetson.
In tallying the win over Northern Colorado (9-7), the Cardinals carried over their hot hitting from Wednesday by pounding out 12 hits including a home run from junior center fielder Amanda Carpenter (Santee, Calif./Santana). Carpenter would lead all players by going 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI.
On the mound, senior Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) turned in another solid performance, improving to 6-5 as she limiting UNC to just four hits and one unearned run over six innings. She also struck out six batters.
Senior catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) and freshman designated player Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) each extended their respective hitting streaks, Montalto to 10 games and Stuedemann to eight games, with a pair of hits each. Freshman shortstop Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) also collected two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the fourth with four runs. Sophomore third baseman Audrey Bickel (Munster, Ind./Andrean) started the frame with a double and advanced to third on a single from Carpenter. The pair then successfully pulled off a double steal with Bickel scoring the first run of the game.
After freshman right fielder Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) singled and stole second, putting runners at second and third, Craft came up with her first RBI hit of the game with a single up the middle. After a Bears' pitching change, a sacrifice fly from freshman second baseman Taylor Cox (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica) made the score 3-0. BSU's final run came thanks to a grounder from sophomore left fielder Jennifer Gilbert (McKinney, Texas/McKinney) who reached base on an error by the first baseman.
Northern Colorado scored its lone run of the contest in the bottom of the second, as Erin Wilkinson reached base on an error and eventually came around to score on a two-out single from Erin Geddis.
Ball State would get the run back in the top of the fourth when Carpenter launched her 12th career home run over the right-center field wall, pushing the score to 5-1.
The Cardinals then added a four-spot in the top of the sixth to help close out the game. Carpenter singled and Cihlar walked to open the inning, while a RBI single to left field from Craft, who advanced to second on the throw, drove in the first run. An error on failed pickoff attempt at third then allowed Cihlar to score and put Craft at third.
Cox followed with an RBI single to center field, driving in Craft, and would come around to score the game's final run on a RBI double from Stuedemann.
Workman would then retire Northern Colorado in order in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. She struck out two of the final three batters.
Megan Wilkinson suffered the loss on the mound for UNC, falling to 6-2 on the year as she gave up four runs and five hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Workman, Audrey (6-5)
L: WLKINSON, M. (6-2)
Batting:
2B: Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Bickel, Audrey 1
HR: Carpenter, Amanda 1
RBI: Gilbert, Jenny 1 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Carpenter, Amanda 1 ; Craft, Jessica 2 ; Cox, Taylor 2
SF: Cox, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gilbert, Jenny 1 ; Bickel, Audrey 1 ; Carpenter, Amanda 3 ; Cihlar, Loren 2 ; Craft, Jessica 2
SB: Bickel, Audrey 1 ; Carpenter, Amanda 1 ; Cihlar, Loren 1 ; Craft, Jessica 1
CS: Gilbert, Jenny 1
Batting:
RBI: GEDDIS, E. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WLKINSON, E. 1
