Saturday, February 23
San Jose, Calif.
12 p.m. (ET) / 9 a.m. (PT)
Ball State University
9-5
8
vs
6
CSU Bakersfield
5-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
CSU Bakersfield
0
3
1
0
1
1
0
6
9
1
Ball State
0
0
3
2
3
0
X
8
8
2
Photo by: Tessa Mortensen
Softball Takes Two in Saturday Action
February 23, 2019 | Softball
SAN JOSE / SANTA CLARA, Calif.- - The Ball State softball team closed the second day of the Silicon Valley Classic I with a few fireworks Saturday, picking up an 8-6 win over CSU Bakersfield at the San Jose State Softball Complex and a 5-2 (8) victory over Utah State at the Santa Clara Softball Stadium.
With the wins, the Cardinals improve to 10-5 on the year and move to 2-0 in extra-inning games this season.
In Saturday's opener versus the Roadrunners (5-5), freshman third baseman Trinity Eckerty led the offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, along with three pivotal RBIs. She drove in the first run of the game in the third on an RBI single, added an RBI fielder's choice in the fourth and drove in Ball State's final run of the game with a RBI single in the fifth.
In the nightcap versus the Aggies (7-8), junior first baseman Janae Hogg blasted her fifth home run of the season to open the scoring in the top of the first. However, it was a three-run bomb from junior right fielder Kennedy Wynn in the top of the eighth that proved to be the game-winner.
Behind both offensive performances, two more spectacular efforts from junior closer Alyssa Rothwell in the circle that helped lock up the victories.
In the opener against CSU Bakersfield, Rothwell entered the game with bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and Ball State clinging to a 8-6 advantage. She would go on to retire all six batters she faced, four via strikeouts, to lock up her fifth save of the season.
Rothwell followed with another clutch performance in the win over Utah State, entering the game in the eighth inning and once again retiring the side to secure her second save of the day, sixth of the season and 20th of her career.
The winning pitcher in both games, senior Aeshia Miles who entered both contests in relief. Miles pitched the fifth inning versus CSUB and struck out three of the seven batters she faced, before throwing three innings in the nightcap, striking out five more batters. She improved to 4-3 on the year with the two victories.
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Silicon Valley Classic I on Sunday, with a scheduled Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT first pitch versus Montana.
Game 1 Recap: Ball State 8 - CSU Bakersfield 6
The Cardinals found themselves in an early 4-0 hole after the Roadrunners (5-5) scored three runs in the top of the second and one more in the top of the third inning.
However, the speed for freshman center fielder Kim Manuel put a little spark in the Ball State offense in the bottom of the third, as she was hit by a pitch and went on to steal second base, her first of three stolen bases in the game. After Hogg reached on a two-out error to keep the Cardinals alive, Eckerty drove in her first RBI of the game with a single to left field.
Senior third baseman Annie Robinson followed with her first collegiate triple, driving in two more runs to cut the CSU Bakersfield lead to 4-3.
Ball State went on to take its first lead of the game the following inning, as a bases loaded walk to Hogg and an Eckerty RBI fielder's choice pushed the Cardinals ahead 5-4.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Roadrunners evened the score at 5-5 with a run in the top of the fifth.
The Cardinals quickly responded, however, using RBI singles from junior left fielder Haley Dominique, sophomore second baseman Stacy Payton and Eckerty to plate three more runs in the bottom of the frame.
With Ball State leading 8-5, USCB would not go down without a fight as its first four batters reached base in the top of the sixth to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-6.
Enter Rothwell who did what she does best, getting a strikeout, a shallow fly to center and another strikeout to work out of the bases loaded jam with the two-run lead still intact.
That proved to be the turning point in the game, as Rothwell followed by retiring CSUB in order in the top of the seventh, including a pair of strikeouts to end the game and pick up her fifth save of the season.
Freshman Tieghan Morio started the game in the circle for Ball State, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing just six hits and four runs, only one of which was earned.
Game 2 Recap: Ball State 5 - Utah State 2
Hogg gave Ball State a quick boost in the nightcap, depositing her fifth home run over the season over the fence in left field with two outs in the top of the first to push the guests on the scoreboard ahead 1-0.
Wynn opened the second inning with a double to left field and came around to make the score 2-0 on an RBI fielder's choice from sophomore shortstop Hailey Demnianiuk.
The Aggies countered in the bottom of the second with a one-out solo home run. That was the only blemish on BSU starter Sarah Venker's stat line, as she held Utah State to just three hits and the one run over 4.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters.
Utah State capitalized early on the Ball State pitching change in the fifth, as a walk, bunt single and RBI single to left evened the score. Miles would settle in, however, limiting the Aggies to just the one run and two hits over her 3.0 innings of work. She also struck out five of the 16 batters she faced in the game.
Fast forward to extra innings, where Wynn delivered the decisive blast with her three-run homer to left field that brought home both freshman pinch runner Amaia Daniel who was placed at second due to the international tiebreaker and Robinson who singled in the first at bat of the inning.
Bring in the closer Rothwell in the bottom of the eighth to retire the only three batters she faced, and you get Ball State's 10th win of the season.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB, @CoachCBartlett & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
With the wins, the Cardinals improve to 10-5 on the year and move to 2-0 in extra-inning games this season.
In Saturday's opener versus the Roadrunners (5-5), freshman third baseman Trinity Eckerty led the offense with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, along with three pivotal RBIs. She drove in the first run of the game in the third on an RBI single, added an RBI fielder's choice in the fourth and drove in Ball State's final run of the game with a RBI single in the fifth.
In the nightcap versus the Aggies (7-8), junior first baseman Janae Hogg blasted her fifth home run of the season to open the scoring in the top of the first. However, it was a three-run bomb from junior right fielder Kennedy Wynn in the top of the eighth that proved to be the game-winner.
Behind both offensive performances, two more spectacular efforts from junior closer Alyssa Rothwell in the circle that helped lock up the victories.
In the opener against CSU Bakersfield, Rothwell entered the game with bases loaded and no outs in the sixth and Ball State clinging to a 8-6 advantage. She would go on to retire all six batters she faced, four via strikeouts, to lock up her fifth save of the season.
Rothwell followed with another clutch performance in the win over Utah State, entering the game in the eighth inning and once again retiring the side to secure her second save of the day, sixth of the season and 20th of her career.
The winning pitcher in both games, senior Aeshia Miles who entered both contests in relief. Miles pitched the fifth inning versus CSUB and struck out three of the seven batters she faced, before throwing three innings in the nightcap, striking out five more batters. She improved to 4-3 on the year with the two victories.
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Silicon Valley Classic I on Sunday, with a scheduled Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT first pitch versus Montana.
Game 1 Recap: Ball State 8 - CSU Bakersfield 6
The Cardinals found themselves in an early 4-0 hole after the Roadrunners (5-5) scored three runs in the top of the second and one more in the top of the third inning.
However, the speed for freshman center fielder Kim Manuel put a little spark in the Ball State offense in the bottom of the third, as she was hit by a pitch and went on to steal second base, her first of three stolen bases in the game. After Hogg reached on a two-out error to keep the Cardinals alive, Eckerty drove in her first RBI of the game with a single to left field.
Senior third baseman Annie Robinson followed with her first collegiate triple, driving in two more runs to cut the CSU Bakersfield lead to 4-3.
Ball State went on to take its first lead of the game the following inning, as a bases loaded walk to Hogg and an Eckerty RBI fielder's choice pushed the Cardinals ahead 5-4.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Roadrunners evened the score at 5-5 with a run in the top of the fifth.
The Cardinals quickly responded, however, using RBI singles from junior left fielder Haley Dominique, sophomore second baseman Stacy Payton and Eckerty to plate three more runs in the bottom of the frame.
With Ball State leading 8-5, USCB would not go down without a fight as its first four batters reached base in the top of the sixth to cut the Cardinals' lead to 8-6.
Enter Rothwell who did what she does best, getting a strikeout, a shallow fly to center and another strikeout to work out of the bases loaded jam with the two-run lead still intact.
That proved to be the turning point in the game, as Rothwell followed by retiring CSUB in order in the top of the seventh, including a pair of strikeouts to end the game and pick up her fifth save of the season.
Freshman Tieghan Morio started the game in the circle for Ball State, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing just six hits and four runs, only one of which was earned.
Game 2 Recap: Ball State 5 - Utah State 2
Hogg gave Ball State a quick boost in the nightcap, depositing her fifth home run over the season over the fence in left field with two outs in the top of the first to push the guests on the scoreboard ahead 1-0.
Wynn opened the second inning with a double to left field and came around to make the score 2-0 on an RBI fielder's choice from sophomore shortstop Hailey Demnianiuk.
The Aggies countered in the bottom of the second with a one-out solo home run. That was the only blemish on BSU starter Sarah Venker's stat line, as she held Utah State to just three hits and the one run over 4.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters.
Utah State capitalized early on the Ball State pitching change in the fifth, as a walk, bunt single and RBI single to left evened the score. Miles would settle in, however, limiting the Aggies to just the one run and two hits over her 3.0 innings of work. She also struck out five of the 16 batters she faced in the game.
Fast forward to extra innings, where Wynn delivered the decisive blast with her three-run homer to left field that brought home both freshman pinch runner Amaia Daniel who was placed at second due to the international tiebreaker and Robinson who singled in the first at bat of the inning.
Bring in the closer Rothwell in the bottom of the eighth to retire the only three batters she faced, and you get Ball State's 10th win of the season.
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: Miles, Aeshia (3-3)
L: Lewis, Julie (1-2)
S: Rothwell, Alyssa (5)
Batting:
2B: Amezcua, Nadia 1
RBI: Johnson, Paige 1 ; Tadewosian, Kayla 1 ; Pech, Samantha 2
SH: Wiseman, Karah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Curry, Nicole 1 ; Fuggs, Nakaila 1 ; Amezcua, Nadia 1 ; Hipa, Chris 1 ; Curran, Cydney 2
HBP: Johnson, Paige 1 ; Tadewosian, Kayla 1 ; Curry, Nicole 1 ; Amezcua, Nadia 1
Batting:
3B: Robinson, Annie 1 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1
RBI: Dominique, Haley 1 ; Payton, Stacy 1 ; Hogg, Janae 1 ; Eckerty, Trinity 3 ; Robinson, Annie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Dominique, Haley 2 ; Hogg, Janae 1 ; Eckerty, Trinity 1 ; Huffman, Olivia 1 ; Manuel, Kim 3
SB: Wynn, Kennedy 1 ; Manuel, Kim 3
HBP: Manuel, Kim 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
2b/3b
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
dh/rf
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
Uti
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ SoftballSoftball // Workouts
Wednesday, September 17
Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses the NCAA vs. House Settlement
Tuesday, July 01
Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses NCAA vs. House Settlement & Bill Richards Thank You
Friday, June 27
Sports Link: Katie Van Der Mark (Softball)
Wednesday, May 21