Ball State University
27-17, 12-5
Buffalo - GM 1
12-26, 5-12
Ball State Splits Saturday Doubleheader at Buffalo
May 01, 2016 | Baseball
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Ball State baseball team took the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Buffalo, 9-6, but fell in the second contest, 4-3.
The Cardinals (27-18, 12-6 MAC) trailed 5-1 heading into the top of the seventh of game one, only to rally with four runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth to steal a win away from Buffalo (13-26, 6-12). Junior Caleb Stayton produced the key hit in the seventh inning, a two-run double to left field, to cut the deficit to 5-4. In the eighth, junior Alex Maloney put Ball State in front for the first time in the game with a two-run double of his own.
Senior Ryan Spaulding and junior Sean Kennedy added RBIs in the eighth to give the Cardinals some breathing room at 9-5.
Buffalo replied with a run in the bottom of the eighth, but sophomore Mitch Gibson got the final three outs in the ninth to earn his first collegiate save.
In the series finale, Buffalo scored three unearned runs with two outs in the sixth inning to go ahead, 4-2.
Ball State came right back with a run in the top of the seventh inning, but also left two runners on base in that inning.
Redshirt freshman Roman Baisa had quite a series against Buffalo as the outfielder went 6-for-8 (.750) at the plate, scored three times, walked three times and stole seven bases. Ball State's bullpen was only charged with one run in 11.1 innings pitched in the three games.
Next up for the Cardinals is a three-game home series against Eastern Michigan next weekend, May 6-8.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Haro, Matt (4-1)
L: LAKSO, Blair (0-2)
S: Gibson, Mitch (1)
Batting:
2B: Call, Alex 1 ; Maloney, Alex 1 ; Stayton, Caleb 1 ; Baisa, Roman 1
RBI: Call, Alex 1 ; Maloney, Alex 2 ; Stayton, Caleb 2 ; Spaulding, Ryan 1 ; Kennedy, Sean 2 ; Baisa, Roman 1
SH: Spaulding, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Call, Alex 2 ; Maloney, Alex 2 ; Stayton, Caleb 1 ; Rindfleisch, Jarett 1 ; Eppers, Matt 1 ; Baisa, Roman 2
SB: Call, Alex 1 ; Maloney, Alex 1 ; Eppers, Matt 1 ; Baisa, Roman 2
CS: Call, Alex 1
Batting:
RBI: SHEPPARD, Bobby 1 ; ABRUNZO, Mike 1 ; KWITZER, Chris 1 ; WASILEWSKI, Brian 2 ; THROWER, Alex 1
SH: KWITZER, Chris 1 ; BRENNAN, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ABRUNZO, Mike 1 ; MALLARO, Vinny 2 ; KWITZER, Chris 1 ; WASILEWSKI, Brian 1 ; THROWER, Alex 1
HBP: KWITZER, Chris 1 ; BRENNAN, Kyle 1
