Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
28-21, 0
Central Michigan
32-19, 0
Baseball Posts 15-7 Victory over League Leader CMU
May 10, 2015 | Baseball
Alex Call's first inning three-run home run and a pair of Ryan Spaulding homers propelled Ball State's baseball team to a 15-7 Sunday victory at home over Mid-American Conference West Division leader Central Michigan.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 28-21 overall and evened their MAC mark at 12-12. Central Michigan fell to 32-19 overall and 17-7 in the league. With one weekend remaining in league play, Ball State ranks sixth of the 12 teams, and the top eight squads will advance to the MAC Tournament in Avon, Ohio, May 20-24.
Ball State will host Indiana Tuesday at 3 p.m. and then host Northern Illinois in the final league series of the year Thursday through Saturday at Ball Diamond in the First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
Call's three-run homer in the first was his fifth home run of the season and gave Ball State an early 3-0 lead, while Spaulding's bomb in the fourth helped the Cardinals race out to an 8-0 lead after four. Spaulding added his second homer of the day and his fifth of the season in the seventh inning to give Ball State a 14-3 lead.
In a game full of defensive web gems, in the end it was the 15 hits for 15 runs by the Cardinals that led to the victory.
In the bottom of the fourth with Ball State up 4-0, Alex Maloney smashed a double to right center field that scored two and gave Ball State a 6-0 lead. Spaulding kept things going with his HR that put the Cardinals up 8-0, but Central Michigan responded with a three-run HR blast over the right field fence in the top of the fifth to pull within 8-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ball State loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a bunt single by Call. Jarett Rindfleisch was hit by a pitch to score Maloney and give the Cardinals a 9-3 lead. Elbert Devarie hit a high chopper to the first baseman to score Spaulding and it stood 10-3 Ball State. One pitch later, Call scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 11-3. With still no outs in the inning and runners on second and third, Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Rindfleisch and give Ball State a 12-3 lead. Caleb Stayton was hit by pitch to put runners on first and second for pinch hitter Scott Tyler, who singled to load the bases for Eppers. Eppers hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Devarie and Ball State led 13-3.
Central Michigan kept battling and added two more in the eighth to close the gap to 14-5, but Tyler added an RBI single in the eighth to stretch Ball State's lead back out to 15-5. The Chippewas would add two more in the top of the ninth but the Cardinals maintained the lead to win the contest.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, Scott (3-6)
L: ALDRED, Adam (4-3)
Batting:
2B: REGNIER, Logan 1
3B: REGNIER, Nick 1 ; McKINSTRY, Zach 1
HR: BORGLIN, Alex 1
RBI: BORGLIN, Alex 3 ; REGNIER, Nick 1 ; REGNIER, Logan 1 ; McKINSTRY, Zach 2
SH: HEEKE, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BORGLIN, Alex 1 ; HUNTEY, Tyler 1 ; REGNIER, Nick 1 ; REGNIER, Logan 1 ; JIPPING, Daniel 1 ; McKINSTRY, Zach 1 ; HOULIHAN, Joe 1
SB: MacKENZIE, Pat 1
HBP: JIPPING, Daniel 1
Batting:
2B: Maloney, Alex 2
HR: Spaulding, Ryan 2 ; Call, Alex 1
RBI: Maloney, Alex 2 ; Spaulding, Ryan 3 ; Call, Alex 3 ; Rindfleisch, Jarett 1 ; Devarie, Elbert 1 ; Kennedy, Sean 1 ; Estep, Brandon 1 ; Tyler, Scott 1 ; Eppers, Matt 1
SF: Kennedy, Sean 1 ; Eppers, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Maloney, Alex 3 ; Spaulding, Ryan 4 ; Call, Alex 2 ; Rindfleisch, Jarett 1 ; Devarie, Elbert 1 ; Kennedy, Sean 2 ; Estep, Brandon 1 ; Eppers, Matt 1
SB: Call, Alex 1
HBP: Rindfleisch, Jarett 2 ; Stayton, Caleb 1
