Ball State University
1-0
South Dakota
0-1
Softball Rallies Past South Dakota For 11-8 Victory
February 07, 2015 | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Trailing by six and down to its final out, the Ball State softball team rallied for six runs in the top of the seventh inning on its way to a thrilling 11-8 (9 inn.) season-opening victory over South Dakota in its first game of the Music City Classic at Lipscomb's Draper Diamond Friday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn.
The Cardinals (1-0) looked down for the count, trailing 8-2 with two outs in the top of the seventh, but an untimely error by the Coyotes (0-1) kept Ball State alive and helped spark a six-run rally which tied the score. Ball State then capitalize on a three-run homer from junior second baseman Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam) in the top of the ninth and went on to win the game.
Dabkowski finished the game a single shy of the cycle, logging a double, triple and home run. She also drove in four runs, while scoring three times. Senior left fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) added a pair of hits, including a fourth-inning double which gave BSU its first run of the season.
In the circle, sophomore Jocelyn Rivera (Brooklyn, Ohio/Brooklyn) earned the victory after five solid innings of relief work. She held the Coyotes to just one hit, while striking out five batters. In fact, Rivera successfully retired the final 11 batters she faced in the game.
After three scoreless innings, Dabkowski provided a spark for the Ball State offense with a leadoff triple in the fourth. Stuedemann followed with a single to left field to drive in the Cardinals' first run of the season.
South Dakota, who ended the Cardinals threat in the top of the inning with a double play, seemingly broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth by posting six runs on the Draper Diamond scoreboard, including a two-run home run from Yvon Minogue. Matley Jones added a two-run homer for USD in the bottom of the fifth to push the score to 8-1.
Ball State cut the South Dakota lead to 8-2 in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI double from senior catcher Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) which drove in Stuedemann who also doubled in the previous at bat.
Rivera struck out three of the four batters she faced in the bottom of the sixth, keeping the margin at six runs entering the seventh.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, junior shortstop Selena Reyna (Houston, Texas/South Houston) reach base on a USD error, while sophomore center fielder India Steward (Matteson, Ill./Rich South) drew a walk to put a pair of runners on base. Senior right fielder Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) followed with a bases-clearing triple to cut the Coyotes lead to 8-4.
Dabkowski added a RBI double to right-center field, making the score 8-5, while Stuedemann was hit by a pitch and Craft drew a walk to load the bases. After junior first baseman Sammi Cowger (Fenton, Mich./Fenton) drew a RBI walk to cut the gap to 8-6, sophomore third baseman Hayley Cruthers (Swartz Creek, Mich./Swartz Creek) tied the score with a two-run single which was just out of reach of the South Dakota right fielder. Unfortunately, the potential go-ahead run was thrown out at home on the play.
Dabkowski would then provide some extra-inning heroics with a three-run blast in the top of the ninth, driving in Steward who was placed on second and Cihlar who drew a walk.
The Ball State softball team continues play in the Music City Classic Saturday with a pair of games versus in-state foes IUPUI (9 a.m. CT) and Indiana State (11:30 a.m. CT). Both games are scheduled to be played at Lipscomb's Draper Diamond.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB and @TyraPerry13/ Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball
- BallStateSports.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rivera, Jocelyn (1-0)
L: Rachel Cue (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Dabkowski, Emily 1 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Craft, Jessica 1
3B: Cihlar, Loren 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 1
HR: Dabkowski, Emily 1
RBI: Cihlar, Loren 2 ; Dabkowski, Emily 4 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Craft, Jessica 1 ; Cowger, Sammi 1 ; Cruthers, Hayley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Steward, India 2 ; Cihlar, Loren 2 ; Dabkowski, Emily 3 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 2 ; Craft, Jessica 1 ; Reyna, Selena 1
HBP: Steward, India 1 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Craft, Jessica 1
Batting:
2B: Katie Dinning 1 ; Yvon Minogue 1
3B: Katie Cochran 1
HR: Yvon Minogue 1 ; Matley Jones 1
RBI: Katie Dinning 1 ; Yvon Minogue 2 ; Matley Jones 2 ; Katie Cochran 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Morgan Hancock 1 ; Yvon Minogue 1 ; Allie Daly 2 ; Matley Jones 2 ; Emily Winckler 1 ; Katie Cochran 1
