Ball State University
10-10
Illinois State
7-14
Softball Drops Pair of Games at UCF Round Robin
March 09, 2016 | Softball
ORLANDO, Fla. - - Ball State softball junior center fielder Rachel Houck tallied five hits in seven at bats, including a home run in the opener, but it was not enough as the Cardinals suffered losses to Illinois State and No. 25 UCF Tuesday afternoon in the UCF Round Robin.
With her 5-for-7 effort over the two games at the UCF Softball Complex, Houck raised her team-leading batting average to .453 on the season. She has also scored a team-leading 20 runs this season, including two more Tuesday.
In a 7-3 loss to the Redbirds (7-14) in the opener, the Cardinals struck first on a first-inning RBI single through the right side from senior right fielder Selena Reyna. Freshman catcher Madison Lee scored on the play after reaching base on a one-out walk and advancing to third on Houck's first of four hits in the game.
The bottom half of the first inning saw Illinois State put runners on the corners with two outs. Ball State looked like it was going to escape the frame without any damage, but an illegal pitch on a grounder to second kept the inning alive and allowed the game-tying run to cross the plate.
After a pair of scoreless innings, the Cardinals reclaimed its one-run advantage in the top of the fourth thanks to a one-out triple from junior center fielder India Steward and a RBI single from sophomore pinch hitter Elise Sandberg. Unfortunately, the Redbirds retaliated with five runs in the bottom of the inning and added one more in the fifth to take control of the game at 7-2.
Ball State scored its final run in the top of the seventh, thanks to Houck's fourth hit of the game, a solo shot over the fence just left of the batter's eye in center field. It was Houck's fourth home run of the season and made the final score 7-3.
In the circle, senior Nicole Steinbach struck out four batters over 4.0 innings versus Illinois State, while senior Kelsey Schifferdecker logged one of her own over 2.0 innings of work.
In 5-2 loss to the 25th-ranked Knights (13-8), the Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to senior shortstop Emily Dabkowski's seventh home run of the season. In raising her league-leading RBI total to 25, Dabkowski also drove in Houck who singled one batter earlier for her fifth consecutive hit on the day.
Unfortunately, the Knights rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning to pull ahead 3-2. UCF added a two-run home run in the bottom of the third for the game's final two runs, making the score 5-3.
In addition to Houck and Dabkowski's contributions in the nightcap, Reyna and Lee added two hits each against the Knights. Ball State also received a strong relief appearance from sophomore Carolyn Wilmes in the circle. In pitching the final 4.0 innings, Wilmes held the nation's 25th-ranked team to just three hits and also logged a strikeout.
The Ball State softball team will look to rebound tomorrow, when it faces No. 25 UCF for a second time at the UCF Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 5:30 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: Romshek, Regan (2-4)
L: Steinbach, Nicole (7-5)
Batting:
2B: Houck, Rachel 1
3B: Steward, India 1
HR: Houck, Rachel 1
RBI: Houck, Rachel 1 ; Reyna, Selena 1 ; Sandberg, Elise 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lee, Madison 1 ; Houck, Rachel 1 ; Steward, India 1
Batting:
RBI: Heineman, Annie 2 ; Hale, Riley 2 ; Caliva, Alex 1 ; Daly, Caitlyn 1
SH: Prader, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heineman, Annie 2 ; Strandgard, Riley 1 ; Billups, Payton 2 ; Prader, Lauren 1 ; Knary, Kaitlyn 1
SB: Heineman, Annie 2 ; Mesecher, Kori 1
