Friday, February 17
Tucson, AZ
3pm
Ball State University
2-4
17
vs
2
Drake University
4-3
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Ball State
2
6
5
1
3
17
14
0
Drake
0
2
0
0
0
2
6
6
Softball Explodes for 17 Runs in Win over Drake, Falls Short at No. 10 Arizona
February 17, 2017 | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. - - Led by a pair of home runs from senior Rachel Houck (Greenfield, Ind./Louisville), the Ball State offense exploded for 17 runs to open the Wildcat Invitational with a 17-2 (5) win over Drake Friday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not carry over the momentum in the nightcap, suffering a 9-1 (6) loss to tournament host and 10th-ranked Arizona.
Ball State, which improved to 2-5 on the year with the split, will look to get back on the winning track Saturday morning when it plays Abilene Christian (11 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. MST) and North Dakota State (1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. MST) on the second day Wildcat Invitational.
GAME ONE RECAP: Ball State 17 – Drake 2 (5)
Senior center fielder Rachel Houck (Greenfield, Ind./Louisville) opened Ball State's second weekend of play with a two-run home run, and capped the scoring with three-run shot in the top of the fifth Friday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
In between, the Cardinals offense rattled off 12 more hits and 12 more runs for a 17-2 (5) victory over Drake for the team's largest offensive output since a 19-9 home win over Indiana April 21, 2015.
Junior second baseman Maddy Labrador (Lexington, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) opened the game with a walk and Houck quickly made the Bulldogs pay with her first home run of the season in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Freshman pitcher Darcie Huber (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) kept Drake off the board in the bottom of the first, retiring three of the four batters she faced. She would then get all the run support she would need as Ball State tacked on six runs in the top of the second inning.
Junior shortstop Brittany Hopper (Scottsdale, Ariz./Phoenix College) provided the biggest of Ball State's seven hits in the second inning, depositing a two-run shot over the fence in left field for her first home run as a Cardinal. In addition, sophomore catcher Olivia Huffman (Woodbury, Minn./South Dakota) opened the scoring in the inning with her first Ball State hit and RBI on a single to center field.
Houck also had a RBI fielder's choice in the second and managed to reach base and score a run in all five of her plate appearances. In addition to her two home runs and fielder's choice, she drew a walk in the third and reached on an error in the fourth. In all, Houck accounted for nine of Ball State's 17 runs in the game with two home runs, five runs scored and six RBIs.
Drake managed to get a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, but Huber rebounded in the third to pick up her second win of the season by allowing just five hits and a pair of runs. She also tallied a pair of strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Ball State offense added five more runs in the top of the third, aided in part by five walks and three Drake errors. Freshman Caitlyn Robinson (Clarksville, Ohio/Clinton-Massie) drove in Ball State's lone run in the fourth inning with her first career hit, an RBI single up the middle. Houck then capped the scoring with her three-run blast in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore Aeshia Miles (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) turned in a solid effort in relief, yielding just one hit and holding the Bulldogs scoreless over the final two innings. She also tallied a strikeout.
GAME 2: No. 10 Arizona 9 – Ball State 1 (6)
After a strong offensive showing in the opener, the Cardinals faced their second ranked opponent of the season in the nightcap, suffering a 9-1 loss to tournament host and 10th-ranked Arizona.
Freshman Kennedy Wynn (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) came up with two of Ball State's three hits in the game, including a RBI single through the right side in the top of the second to drive in the Cardinals' lone run of the game. Wynn also went 2-for-2 in the opening game to finish the day with four hits in four at bats.
Arizona opened the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, only to see Wynn's RBI single cut the lead in half. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were shut down from there as the Wildcats out-scored the Cardinals 7-0 over the final 4.5 innings.
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 –
Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not carry over the momentum in the nightcap, suffering a 9-1 (6) loss to tournament host and 10th-ranked Arizona.
Ball State, which improved to 2-5 on the year with the split, will look to get back on the winning track Saturday morning when it plays Abilene Christian (11 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. MST) and North Dakota State (1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. MST) on the second day Wildcat Invitational.
GAME ONE RECAP: Ball State 17 – Drake 2 (5)
Senior center fielder Rachel Houck (Greenfield, Ind./Louisville) opened Ball State's second weekend of play with a two-run home run, and capped the scoring with three-run shot in the top of the fifth Friday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
In between, the Cardinals offense rattled off 12 more hits and 12 more runs for a 17-2 (5) victory over Drake for the team's largest offensive output since a 19-9 home win over Indiana April 21, 2015.
Junior second baseman Maddy Labrador (Lexington, S.C./Spartanburg Methodist) opened the game with a walk and Houck quickly made the Bulldogs pay with her first home run of the season in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Freshman pitcher Darcie Huber (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) kept Drake off the board in the bottom of the first, retiring three of the four batters she faced. She would then get all the run support she would need as Ball State tacked on six runs in the top of the second inning.
Junior shortstop Brittany Hopper (Scottsdale, Ariz./Phoenix College) provided the biggest of Ball State's seven hits in the second inning, depositing a two-run shot over the fence in left field for her first home run as a Cardinal. In addition, sophomore catcher Olivia Huffman (Woodbury, Minn./South Dakota) opened the scoring in the inning with her first Ball State hit and RBI on a single to center field.
Houck also had a RBI fielder's choice in the second and managed to reach base and score a run in all five of her plate appearances. In addition to her two home runs and fielder's choice, she drew a walk in the third and reached on an error in the fourth. In all, Houck accounted for nine of Ball State's 17 runs in the game with two home runs, five runs scored and six RBIs.
Drake managed to get a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, but Huber rebounded in the third to pick up her second win of the season by allowing just five hits and a pair of runs. She also tallied a pair of strikeouts.
Meanwhile, the Ball State offense added five more runs in the top of the third, aided in part by five walks and three Drake errors. Freshman Caitlyn Robinson (Clarksville, Ohio/Clinton-Massie) drove in Ball State's lone run in the fourth inning with her first career hit, an RBI single up the middle. Houck then capped the scoring with her three-run blast in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore Aeshia Miles (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill) turned in a solid effort in relief, yielding just one hit and holding the Bulldogs scoreless over the final two innings. She also tallied a strikeout.
GAME 2: No. 10 Arizona 9 – Ball State 1 (6)
After a strong offensive showing in the opener, the Cardinals faced their second ranked opponent of the season in the nightcap, suffering a 9-1 loss to tournament host and 10th-ranked Arizona.
Freshman Kennedy Wynn (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) came up with two of Ball State's three hits in the game, including a RBI single through the right side in the top of the second to drive in the Cardinals' lone run of the game. Wynn also went 2-for-2 in the opening game to finish the day with four hits in four at bats.
Arizona opened the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, only to see Wynn's RBI single cut the lead in half. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were shut down from there as the Wildcats out-scored the Cardinals 7-0 over the final 4.5 innings.
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: Huber, Darcie (2-0)
L: Smith, Kailee (2-1)
Batting:
HR: Houck, Rachel 2 ; Hopper, Brittany 1
RBI: Houck, Rachel 6 ; Hopper, Brittany 3 ; Robinson, Caitlyn 1 ; Lee, Madison 1 ; King, Danae 1 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1 ; Huffman, Olivia 1
SH: Hogg, Janae 1 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1
SF: Hopper, Brittany 1 ; Lee, Madison 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Labrador, Maddy 4 ; Houck, Rachel 5 ; Hopper, Brittany 1 ; Robinson, Caitlyn 1 ; Arnett, Amanda 2 ; King, Danae 1 ; Morey, Tara 1 ; O'Donnell, Cadie 1 ; Huffman, Olivia 1
SB: Labrador, Maddy 1 ; Robinson, Caitlyn 1 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1
Batting:
2B: Sowa, Megan 1
RBI: Frank, Kennedy 1 ; Chambers, Ashlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Maddox, Sarah 1 ; Finneran, Kaitlyn 1
HBP: Smith, Kailee 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
4
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
5
H
2
RBI
6
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
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