Ball State University
25-22, 0
Ohio (GM 1)
15-25, 0
Softball Salvages Friday Split At Ohio
April 24, 2015 | Softball
ATHENS, Ohio - - The Ball State softball team rebounded from a 6-1 opening game loss Friday afternoon to earn a 4-1 victory over Ohio in the nightcap of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader at the Ohio Softball Field.
With the split, Ball State moves to 26-22 (11-4 MAC) and secures a spot in the eight-team 2015 MAC Tournament which will be held May 6-9 in Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. The Cardinals are currently tied for the top spot in the league standings with Kent State (11-4 MAC) which picked up a doubleheader sweep at Bowling Green Friday. Ohio, the defending MAC Tournament Champion, moves to 15-26 (7-7 MAC) with the split versus Ball State.
Seniors Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) and Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) turned in solid offensive performances versus the Bobcats, as each finished the day 4-for-7 with a run scored. Cihlar was 3-for-3 in the opener, while Craft was 3-for-4 in the nightcap with a pair of RBI.
In her first pitching start of the season, junior Kelsey Schifferdecker (Belton, Mo./Belton) earned the victory in the second game by holding the Bobcats to just six hits and one run over 7.0 innings. She also struck out a pair of batters while improving to 3-1.
The Ball State softball team returns to action Saturday, when it opens a two-game stop at Akron with a 2 p.m. contest. The Cardinals and Zips will close the series with a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB and @TyraPerry13 / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
GAME 2 RECAP: Ball State 4 – Ohio 1
Determined to rebound from the opening-game loss, the Cardinals struck first in the nightcap with two runs in the top of the first inning. Junior shortstop Selena Reyna (Houston, Texas/South Houston) opened the game with an infield single and advanced to second on a one-out single from junior second baseman Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam).
After seeing her 14-game hitting streak snapped in the opener, senior right fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) started a new one with a RBI single up the middle to drive in the game's first run. Craft followed with a RBI single through the left side to give Ball State a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats cut the Ball State lead to 2-1 with a run in the home half of the second inning, only to see Schifferdecker retire 15 of the final 18 batters she faced in the game, including sitting down the Ohio offense in order in both the fourth and seventh innings.
Dabkowski would add one of two Ball State insurance runs by leading off the top of the fifth with a solo home run, while an RBI double from Craft drove in Cihlar in the top of the sixth for the game's final run.
GAME 1 RECAP: Ohio 6 – Ball State 1
Despite a 3-for-3 effort from Cihlar, the Cardinals found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard in Friday's opener versus the Bobcats, dropping the contest 6-1.
Ohio capitalized on a Ball State error in the bottom of the third, scoring the game's first run when Amanda Dalton stole third and came home on the defensive miscue.
The Cardinals looked poised to recover in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with one out. Unfortunately, a force out at home and a fly to center field ended the frame with three Ball State players stranded on base.
The Bobcats would break the game open with a four-run fifth inning, while adding another run in the sixth to pull ahead 6-0.
Ball State scored its lone run in the top of the seventh, thanks to a one-out double from Craft and a two-out RBI single from junior first baseman Sammi Cowger (Fenton, Mich./Fenton).
- BallStateSports.com –
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MCCLARY,Lauren (3-13)
L: Steinbach, Nicole (12-12)
Batting:
2B: Craft, Jessica 1
RBI: Cowger, Sammi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Craft, Jessica 1
CS: Cihlar, Loren 1
Batting:
2B: GEBELE,Adrienne 1
HR: COOPER,Mikayla 1
RBI: HUTCHINSON,Casie 1 ; CLARKE,Kaylin 1 ; GEBELE,Adrienne 2 ; COOPER,Mikayla 1
SF: HUTCHINSON,Casie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DALTON,Amanda 2 ; WALKER,Sloan 1 ; RAPPE,Timmie 1 ; CLARKE,Kaylin 1 ; COOPER,Mikayla 1
SB: DALTON,Amanda 1
HBP: DALTON,Amanda 1 ; GEBELE,Adrienne 1
