Baseball Suffers 11-7 Loss in Opener to Kentucky

Friday, February 13

Wilmington, N.C.

12:00 PM

Ball State University

0-1

Kentucky

1-0

Kentucky

Ball State Cardinals

February 13, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

Ball State's baseball team suffered an 11-7 loss to Kentucky in its season opener at the Buffalo Wild Wings Battle @ the Beach in Wilmington, N.C.

"The outcome was not what we had hoped for but I loved the way we battled back," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "I also was pleased to get four of our freshmen pitchers into the game. They did a nice job in their first outings."

In a game that saw the offenses take control early and late, the Wildcats jumped out to a 9-0 lead after five innings but Ball State outscored Kentucky 7-2 in the last four frames.

The Cardinals biggest inning of the game was a five-run eighth inning that closed the gap to 10-7 before Kentucky scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

Down 9-0 after five innings, Ball State rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth behind an Alex Call double, a two-out single from Sean Kennedy and a shot over the right fielders head by Brandon Estep that scored Kennedy from first base.

The five-run eighth inning for the Cardinals was started by a Jarett Rindfleisch single to right center. Daniel Brodsky pinch ran for Rindfleisch and advanced to second on a Kennedy single. Estep walked to load the bases and Elbert Devarie laced a single to score two. With one out, Alex Maloney reached base on an error and loaded the bases. Ryan Spaulding was hit by a pitch and the Cardinals scored their third run of the inning. Call's single scored two and Ball State had cut the lead to 10-7 through eight.

But the Ball State pitching staff could not stop the Wildcats high-powered offense that managed 11 runs on 17 hits, including four infield singles on the day.

Zach Plesac, the Collegiate Baseball National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2014, started the game and suffered the loss. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing only four earned runs, while striking out one and walking four.

Ball State's bullpen featured four freshmen seeing their first collegiate action and combining to pitch 4.1 innings, allowing only two earned runs and striking out four.

In addition to the four freshmen pitchers -- Trevor Henderson, Colin Brockhouse, Trevor Simon and Brendan Burns -- Ball State also played freshmen Brodsky and Mike Roberson in the contest.

Devarie topped the Cardinals at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance, including two runs-batted-in. Call was 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Kennedy was 2-for-5 with one RBI.

The Cardinals are slated to face host UNC-Wilmington Saturday at 4 p.m., but a scheduled game with Richmond Sunday at 10 a.m. is in jeopardy due to incoming inclement weather.