Ball State University
14-17, 0-2
Miami (OH) - GM 1
16-11, 2-0
Softball Suffers Pair of Saturday Losses at Miami
March 26, 2016 | Softball
OXFORD, Ohio - - The opportunities were there, but the Ball State softball team could not come up with key hits in a pair of Mid-American Conference losses at Miami Saturday afternoon at the MU Softball Stadium.
Playing from behind in both games, the Cardinals (14-18 / 0-3 MAC) put the tying runs either on base or in the batter's box in the seventh inning of both contests, but the RedHawks (17-11 / 3-0 MAC) held on for 5-3 and 5-2 victories to sweep the three-game league-opening series.
Senior shortstop Emily Dabkowski led the Ball State offense with a .429 (3-for-7) average on the day, while collecting a pair of doubles for a .714 slugging percentage. One of the MAC's top offensive threats, Dabkowski also drew a walk and was one of four Cardinals starters to finish the day with a .500 on base percentage. She also drove in a run, scored a run and stole a base.
Junior center fielder Rachel Houck also tallied three hits over the two games and led the Ball State offense with a pair of RBI. Senior outfielder Selena Reyna, freshman catcher Madison Lee, freshman third baseman Aeshia Miles and freshman second baseman Becca Rodriguez each logged a pair of hits on the day, with the first three tying Dabkowski for team-high honors with .500 on base percentages.
In the circle, sophomore Carolyn Wilmes turned in a pair of strong relief outings, allowing just one earned run over 6.1 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters and did not issue a walk while holding the 27 batters she faced to just eight hits.
After a program-record 32 consecutive games on the road, the Ball State softball team will play its first game at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex this coming Friday (April 1), when it opens a three-game league series versus Ohio. First pitch is schedule for 3 p.m.
GAME 1 RECAP: Miami 5 – Ball State 2
Playing with the momentum from Friday's victory over the Cardinals, Miami jumped on the scoreboard early as Johniann Wahl launched a two-out, two-run home run over the fence in center field to give the hosts a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The normally steady Ball State starting pitcher Nicole Steinbach was never able to truly recover from the blast, as Miami loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second and put two more runners on base with one out in the bottom of the third. While Steinbach was able to work out of both of those jams, Miami struck for three more runs off of Steinbach in the fourth to take control of the game at 5-0.
The Cardinals countered Miami's three-run fourth with their first two runs in the top of the fifth. Rodriguez and Lee opened the frame with back-to-back singles, while junior outfielder India Steward laid down a sacrifice bunt to give Ball State a pair of runners in scoring position. Dabkowski followed with a RBI single to left field to drive in the Cardinals' first run of the game, while Houck brought the guests within three with a RBI groundout to short in the next at bat.
In her first relief appearance of the day, Wilmes did her best to keep the Cardinals in the game, retiring Miami in order in the fifth and recovering from a pair of two-out hits in the sixth for force a popup to third to end the inning.
Rodriguez would get the Ball State offense going again in the seventh, with her second inning-opening single of the game. Lee followed with a walk, while a fielder's choice from Steward gave the Cardinals runners at the corners. After a pop fly to second for out number two, Houck slashed a RBI single to left field to bring Ball State within two. Unfortunately, the Cardinals would strand the tying run at first as a popup to short ended the game.
GAME 2 RECAP: Miami 5 – Ball State 2
Following the same script as the first game, the RedHawks jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a two-out solo home run from Taylor Shuey in the top of the first inning. The lead could have been up 2-0, however, but starting pitcher Kelsey Schifferdecker and Rodriguez saw Miami's Eryn McCarver try to sneak to second after the throw into the pitcher following a single to left field.
Unfortunately, Miami would get its second run of the game in the second inning, as leadoff batter Hailey Reed was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, reached third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Ball State answered in the top of the third, however, as a one-out double from Dabkowski and a two-out RBI single from junior first baseman Amanda Arnett cut the RedHawks lead in half. After Arnett stole second, Reyna tied the game with a RBI double down the left field line.
Unfortunately, Miami broke the tie with one run in the third and two more in the fourth to pull ahead 5-2.
After giving up a pair of runs in the fourth, one of which was unearned, Wilmes would once again keep the Cardinals in the game by retiring Miami in order in the fifth and striking out two of the four batters she faced in the sixth.
Ball State tried to capitalize in the seventh, as Steward legging out a one-out infield single and Dabkowski doubled to center field to put a pair of runners in scoring position and bring the tying run to the plate. However, a popup to short and a groundout to third sealed the series sweep for the RedHawks.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB, @CoachCBartlett & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: MORTENSEN, Carly (4-4)
L: Steinbach, Nicole (11-7)
S: LOGEMANN, Amber (3)
Batting:
2B: Miles, Aeshia 1
RBI: Dabkowski, Emily 1 ; Houck, Rachel 2
SH: Steward, India 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lee, Madison 1 ; Rodriguez, Becca 1 ; Porter, Madeline 1
SB: Steward, India 1 ; Dabkowski, Emily 1
HBP: Reyna, Selena 1
Batting:
HR: WAHL, Johniann 1
RBI: SHUEY, Taylor 1 ; WAHL, Johniann 2 ; ANDERSON, Lauren 2
SH: SCHLATTMAN, Michaela 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MCCARVER, Eryn 2 ; SHUEY, Taylor 1 ; WAHL, Johniann 1 ; JONES, Jenna 1
HBP: WHISPEL, Rylee 1
