Ball State University
2-0
IUPUI
1-1
Softball Splits Saturday Games At Music City Classic
February 07, 2015 | Softball
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - The Ball State softball team continued to rely on late inning heroics on the second day of the 2015 season, earning a thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 (8 inn.) win over IUPUI, before coming up one run short in a 6-5 loss to Indiana State at Lipscomb's Draper Diamond in the Music City Classic Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals move to 2-1 with the split, and will conclude play in the Music City Classic Sunday afternoon, with a scheduled 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT first pitch versus host Lipscomb.
GAME 1 RECAP: Ball State 5 – IUPUI 4 in 8 Innings.
The Cardinals wasted little time getting onto the scoreboard in Saturday's opening game, using a little small ball to push the game's first run across the plate. Sophomore center fielder India Steward (Matteson, Ill./Rich South) was hit by a pitch to open the game, while senior right fielder Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) placed a sacrifice hit down the third base line to move Steward to second. After a bulk moved Steward to third, junior second baseman Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam) sliced a single to center field to bring home the game's first run.
Ball State would proceed to load the bases with one out in the top of the first, only to have the IUPUI defense come up with a pair of big defensive plays to end the inning. In the bottom half of the frame, the Jaguars also loaded the bases with one out, but sophomore hurler Jocelyn Rivera (Brooklyn, Ohio/Brooklyn) struck out the final two batters swinging.
After retiring Ball State in order in the second inning, IUPUI turned in a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame to take a 3-1 lead.
Ball State looked poised to respond in the top of the third, loading the bases with two outs, but the Jaguars were able to end the rally attempt with a strikeout. IUPUI then added a fourth run in the bottom of the third, taking a 4-1 advantage on a two-out RBI single from pinch hitter Jazmine Pedrotti.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Ball State rallied for two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Senior left fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) started the rally with a one-out double, while senior catcher Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) followed with a walk to put a pair of runners on base. After a groundout by sophomore third baseman Hayley Cruthers (Swartz Creek, Mich./Swartz Creek) advanced the runners to the corners, starting junior first baseman and then relief pitcher Sammi Cowger (Fenton, Mich./Fenton) helped her own cause with a two-run single to right field.
The Cardinals would go on to tie the score in the top of the sixth inning, as Steward was hit by a pitch to open the inning and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
While Ball State was making the offensive rally, Cowger was shutting the Jaguars down from the circle, retiring the side in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Dabkowski then came through with another clutch extra-inning hit, knocking in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Steward scored on the play after being placed on second and advancing to third on a groundout from Cihlar.
Cowger went on to retire the side in order once again in the bottom of the eighth to pick up her first pitching victory of the season. Over 6.0 innings of relief work, Cowger held the Jaguars to two hits, while striking out four batters.
GAME 2 RECAP: Indiana State 6 – Ball State 5
For the third consecutive game, the Cardinals found themselves in an early hole, as Indiana State scored three runs in both the first and second innings to pull ahead 6-0.
Ball State pushed its first run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the third, when Cowger led off the inning with her first home run of the season.
The score remained 6-1 until the bottom of the seventh, when the Cardinals put together another late rally. Dabkowski opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on a single from Stuedemann. An Indiana State error followed, allowing Craft to reach base and Dabkowski to score. After a lineout, sophomore third baseman Amanda Arnett (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) officially joined the Ball State bomb squad with her first career home run, a three-run blast over the center field wall.
Still trailing by one, at 6-5, the Cardinals managed to put a pair of runners on with one out, but a pair of fielder's choices ended the come-back attempt.
Freshman pitcher Carolyn Wilmes (Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei) suffered the loss in her Ball State pitching debut, allowing six runs (only three of which were earned) on four hits. She did strikeout a pair of Sycamores.
After earning a relief win in the season-opener, Rivera added another solid back-up outing, forcing a double-play to end an ISU scoring threat in the top of the fifth, while retiring the side in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB and @TyraPerry13/ Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cowger, Sammi (1-0)
L: Brooke Boetjer (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Stuedemann, Hanne 1
3B: Steward, India 1
RBI: Dabkowski, Emily 2 ; Cowger, Sammi 2
SH: Cihlar, Loren 1
SF: Dabkowski, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Steward, India 3 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1 ; Craft, Jessica 1
SB: Steward, India 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 2 ; Stuedemann, Hanne 1
HBP: Steward, India 2 ; Craft, Jessica 1
Batting:
2B: Roni Patterson 1
RBI: Ali Mosier 1 ; Roni Patterson 1 ; Jazmine Pedrotti 1
SH: Sarah Lawrence 1 ; Morgan Schlobohm 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ali Mosier 1 ; Sarah Lawrence 1 ; Maggie Good 1 ; Eryn Dillon 1
SB: Ali Mosier 3 ; Sarah Lawrence 1 ; Roni Patterson 1 ; Eryn Dillon 1
HBP: Ali Mosier 1
