Baseball Defeats High Point for First Win of Season

Friday, February 20

Aiken, S.C.

3:00 PM

Ball State University

1-2

High Point

1-2

High Point

Ball State Cardinals

Baseball Defeats High Point for First Win of Season

February 20, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Ball State Athletics

Ball State's baseball team earned its first win of the 2015 season with a 3-1 victory over High Point in Aiken, S.C., Friday afternoon.

The Cardinals were originally scheduled to play in a tournament in Elon, N.C., this weekend, but weather cancelled those games and Ball State moved to South Carolina for a pair of games vs. High Point and two against Elon.

"We only gave up three freebies today and when you do that you normally win," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "Scott Baker and B.J. Butler were superb. Pitching, defense and a timely hit are a good path to success."

Ball State's Alex Call led the Cardinals to victory with two runs-batted-in, the first coming on an opposite field, stand-up triple in the bottom of the first. The triple scored Elbert Devarie, who hit a single to right and scored on Call's triple. The triple marked the 44th straight game Call has reached base safely, and he added to his RBI total with a solo home run in the bottom of the third that put Ball State ahead 3-0.

The Cardinals' other run in the first inning came when Jarett Rindfleisch singled to score Call from third base.

Ball State threatened in the bottom of the fifth when Scott Tyler led off with a double off the wall and advanced to third on a passed ball. Ryan Spaulding made it runners at the corners with nobody out when he was hit by a pitch, but Ball State failed to score in the inning and remained in a 3-0 lead through five.

In inning number six, the first two runners reached base safely for High Point before Spaulding made an outstanding play on a sinking line drive and doubled up High Point at first base. With a runner on third and two outs, Ball State pitcher Scott Baker forced a ground out to end the inning.

Baker started the game for Ball State and after allowing only an infield single in the first inning he struck out the side in the second and retired the Panthers in order in the third. Baker retired his 11^th straight batter on a Devarie diving catch in the fourth and retired the side again in the fifth.

Baker evened his record at 1-1 on the season after pitching 7.2 innings, allowing only six hits and one earned run. B.J. Butler came on in relief in the eighth with a runner on first and two outs and forced the only batter he faced in the inning to ground out and end any threat by the Panthers.

Call was 2-for-4 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored. Rindfleisch was 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Devarie was 1-for-4 with one run scored.

The Cardinals, 1-2 on the season, will face High Point at 10 a.m. Saturday and Elon at 4:30 p.m. in its pair of games. Ball State will complete its weekend in South Carolina with an 11 a.m. Sunday game vs. Elon.