Ball State University
8-6
Valparaiso
0-9
Softball Runs Win Streak to Six Games with 8-1 Victory over Valpo
February 28, 2016 | Softball
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - - Freshman catcher Madison Lee (Cerritos, Calif./Cerritos) broke open a scoreless game with a two-run double in the top of the third inning to help the Ball State softball team close play in the WKU Holiday Inn Spring Fling with an 8-1 win over in-state rival Valparaiso Sunday morning at the Western Kentucky Softball Complex.
The Cardinals finished the three-day tournament with an unblemished 4-0 record and outscored its opposition 28-9 to improve to 8-6 overall on the year. In winning its sixth consecutive game Sunday, Ball State pounded out 12 total hits versus the Crusaders (0-9), including three doubles and a pair of home runs.
“It was a great way to wrap up the weekend for our program,” head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett said about today's 8-1 vicotry. “It's nice to start to see a level of consistency up and down the lineup. Carolyn came out and threw a solid three innings for us this morning. She looked really good and it was nice for her to get a confidence boost. Madeline Porter also had a very good day at third base and from the plate, which was nice to see. All-in-all, it's a good way to build some momentum heading into spring break.”
Lee led the Cardinals with three hits Sunday, starting with her two-run single in the top of the third which drove in what proved to be the game-winning run and gave her at least one hit in every game of the WKU Holiday Inn Spring Fling. Lee added a single in the fifth and an RBI single in the sixth to finish the day with a game-high three RBI. Over the course of the WKU Spring Fling, Lee led the Ball State offense with a .636 (7-for-11) batting average and also drew a pair of walks for a team-best .692 on base percentage.
“Madison Lee is on fire,” Bartlett added. “She is a fun player to watch. One of the best things about Madison is she is a very smart hitter. She is extremely disciplined and waits to get a good pitch. We are thrilled with her production so far and hope she continues to do the things that have made her successful to this point.”
After a pair of scoreless innings, freshman Madeline Porter (Birmingham, Ala./Oak Mountain) led off the top of the third with Ball State's first hit of the game, a double to left-center field. Two batters later junior first baseman Amanda Arnett (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) extended her current hitting streak to a career-high six games with a single to short. Lee followed with her two-run double to give Ball State a 2-0 advantage.
Junior Rachel Houck (Greenfield, Ind./Mt. Vernon) looked to drive in Ball State's third run of the game by extending her hitting streak to a career-best eight games with a double to center field, but a close play at the plate led to the second out of the inning. With Houck at third, senior shortstop Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam) would double Ball State's lead by taking an 0-2 pitch deep over the wall in center field to up her MAC-leading RBI total to 16.
Trailing 4-0, the Crusaders' offense would come to life in the bottom of the inning with a one-out single and a sacrifice bunt to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Valpo would then score its first run of the game on a RBI double from Stephanie Moreno. However, Ball State sophomore pitcher Carolyn Wilmes (Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei) was able to limit the damage to one run, as she induced an inning-ending groundout from the next batter.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Arnett helped the Cardinals reclaim a four-run advantage in the top of the fifth by blasting her fourth home run of the season into the parking lot in left-center field. Arnett leads the Ball State offense with 18 total hits this season and owns a .400 (18-for-45) batting average through the first 14 games.
Ball State added three more runs in the top of the sixth to give the game its final score of 8-1. Sophomore pinch hitter Elise Sandberg (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) started the rally in the sixth with a leadoff pinch hit single through the right side. After a pair of outs, sophomore pinch hitter Julia Bailey (Lafayette, La./Teurlings Catholic) drew a walk to give the Cardinals a pair of base runners.
Valpo looked to get out of the inning unscathed, but an error on the throw to first on a grounder from Arnett kept the inning alive and led to the Cardinals' first run of the frame. Lee and Houck then notched back-to-back RBI infield singles to drive in a run apiece.
Senior Nicole Steinbach (Merrillville, Ind./Andrean) earned the win in the circle for the Cardinals, entering the game in relief in the bottom of the fourth and holding the Crusaders to just two hits and a pair of walks over 4.0 innings of work. She also struck out four batters in the contest while improving to 6-2 on the year.
Wilmes also had a solid day on the mound, limiting Valparaiso to three hits and one run over 3.0 innings of work. She struck out a career-high tying four batters, while issuing just one walk.
In addition to Lee's three hits, Arnett, Houck, Dabkowski and Sandberg finished the game with two hits apiece.
The Ball State softball team returns to action Friday, March 4, when it opens play in the Florida Gulf Coast University / Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic with games versus Stony Brook (2 p.m.) and tournament host FGCU (4:30 p.m.).
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB, @CoachCBartlett & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
- BallStateSports.com –
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Steinbach, Nicole (6-2)
L: WEISSENHOFER, Taylor (0-9)
Batting:
2B: Lee, Madison 1 ; Houck, Rachel 1 ; Porter, Madeline 1
HR: Arnett, Amanda 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 1
RBI: Arnett, Amanda 1 ; Lee, Madison 3 ; Houck, Rachel 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Arnett, Amanda 3 ; Houck, Rachel 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 1 ; Sandberg, Elise 1 ; Porter, Madeline 1 ; Miles, Aeshia 1
SB: COOLEY, Taylor 1
Batting:
2B: MORENO, Stephanie 1
RBI: MORENO, Stephanie 1
SH: LAWSON, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CALOMBARIS, Jorgi 1
