Ball State University Athletics
Baseball Splits Double-Header In The Dominican Republic
November 27, 2015 | Baseball
BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic - - The Ball State baseball team is heavy into competition in its five-day trip to the Dominican Republic. The Cardinals opened the day by taking on the Escogido Reserve Squad, a Dominican national team, and dominated the Lions in a 9-0 final.
In the Escogido matchup, senior Ryan Spaulding put the Cardinals on the board when he slammed a triple and made it home on an error. Later in the game, designated hitter Scott Tyler made a major impact at the plate when he continued to stretch Ball State's lead by marking three RBI's off a double in the seventh inning.
Junior Matt Eppers held down the Cardinals' defense at a crucial point in sixth inning when Ball State was just up 2-0. Eppers cinched the final out of the inning from center field back on the warning track, shutting down two Escogido players who were in scoring position.
Pitchers Zach Plesac, Evan Korson and Trevor Simon shutout the Escogido Reserve Squad and only allowed four hits throughout the matchup.
The Cardinals then traveled to take on a Dominican Republic Military Team and suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat. Pitcher B.J. Butler held the Navy to a slow start, with the teams being held at 0-0 through the first three innings. Mitch Gibson appeared on the mound midway through the fifth inning and allowed just two runs. Butler tallied four strikeouts, while Gibson marked one.
Spaulding then stepped up to the plate in the ninth inning with two outs, the bases loaded and the Cardinals down 5-1. Spaulding ripped a shot just past the first baseman, and after an error from the Navy team, all three Cardinal runners made it home while Spaulding sat on second. Despite the major play from the Sweetser, Ind. native, Ball State fell up short and settled the game at 5-4.
Player Blog Post: Trent Theisen, Freshman/Catcher/Saline, Mich. (Saline)
Today was a day filled with baseball. We played two games; one against the Escogido Reserve Squad, and the next against the Dominican Republic Naval Academy Team. We dominated the first game with a lopsided 9-0 victory. It was an awesome experience playing in basically what was a minor league park. Following the dominating victory, we had a very close game against the Naval Academy. After entering the ninth inning down 5-1, we rallied to put up 3 runs, but unfortunately came up a little short. All in all, two games against two competitive teams was all we could ask for.
One thing I found very interesting about the players here is that they all play with a swagger. Whether they are winning or losing, they play with an attitude that I haven't really played against in the United States. Also, the Naval Academy had the most fun playing that I've seen in a long time. It was nearly like they were playing in the World Series. They all were yelling and having a blast playing the game we all have the privilege to partake in.
To wrap the trip up, on Saturday we play one game against the Kansas City Royals Dominican Team. Following that game, we have some down time to hang out with the team either at the beach or the pool, which I'm sure everyone is looking forward to. Later that night, we are attending a professional game here, and that's something that will be an unforgettable experience. On Sunday, we are putting on a baseball clinic for a group of young individuals. After that, we will begin our trip back to Muncie.
This has truly been one of the best trips of my life. We have all had the opportunity to take in what life would be like if we lived here, and I can say for the whole team that we are blessed to be at such a great university with an incredible coaching staff. They have given us the chance to play against some top teams here, along with helping the less fortunate. Hope all you guys check out the pictures from the games today. Go Cardinals!
Looking Ahead…
On Saturday, the team will take on the Kansas City Royals affiliate academy at 11 a.m., prior to attending a Winter League Game in the evening.
This week's in-depth Ball State baseball content will include daily postgame recaps, blog posts from Coach Maloney and various players, photo galleries courtesy of Anthony Marquez, and video highlights from Ball State SportsLink's Torey Fox.
Check back daily to get the inside scoop on the team's adventures by following activity on BallStateSports.com as well as by following @CoachMaloney and @BallStateBB on Twitter.
