Softball Walks Off Bowling Green in Series Finale

MUNCIE, Ind.- - While hits were a premium for the Ball State softball offense all weekend, freshmen Trinity Eckerty and Amaia Daniel provided a pair of big at bats when the team needed it the most Saturday evening at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.

With the score tied at 1-1 and the Cardinals (27-13; 5-3 Mid-American Conference) looking to salvage a win in the weekend series versus Bowling Green, Eckerty opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a hard shot up the middle and off the Falcons (15-20; 3-7 MAC) pitcher.

Then, after senior Aeshia Miles entered to pitch run at first, Daniel blasted BSU's biggest hit of the weekend with an RBI triple down the right field line to give the Cardinals a 2-1 walk-off victory.

#VICTORY ... @amaia_daniel with a HUGE 8th inning triple down the line, bringing home @AeshiaMiles13 for the #WalkOffWin!!!

Ball State 2 - Bowling Green 1#SeeYa Wednesday vs. NIU#ChirpChirp | #WeFly | #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/ufV6HQzbSK
— Ball State Softball (@BallStateSB) April 6, 2019

"It was a tough weekend," head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett said. "Bowling Green came to play. They were tough on defense, good on the mound and solid at the plate. We had to grind and work to win one this weekend. In the eighth inning, we finally came up with a hit when we needed it."

Ball State, which suffered a 5-4 loss to Bowling Green in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader, started the second game strong thanks to a leadoff home run from junior outfielder Haley Dominique.

?? BIG PLAY ALERT ??

B1 | She knew as soon as she hit it ... #NoDoubt @hal_dominique went yard on that one #DoDamage #DaddyHacks

1-0 CARDINALS#ChirpChirp | #WeFly | #NCAASoftball

Watch: https://t.co/NgumuH1grl pic.twitter.com/O8IOttznAS
— Ball State Softball (@BallStateSB) April 6, 2019

Dominique's team-leading seventh long ball of the year was the lone run of the game until the top of the third, when a bases loaded fielder's choice by the Falcons tied the score with two outs.

From there, the game remained deadlocked until Daniel's game-winner in the eighth.

"My favorite thing about Amaia is she wants the big situation," Ciolli Bartlett said. "As a freshman, that's a really special thing. I trust her, and honestly, she is probably going to spend her entire career in the middle of our lineup because she wants the big moment. It's all hers."

Aside from the big at bats in the eighth, the Cardinals pitching staff turned in an impressive performance in the victory. Redshirt sophomore Darcie Huber started the game, limiting BGSU to just two hits and one run over the first 3.0 innings.

Freshman Tieghan Morio followed, pitching the next 3.1 innings and yielding just three hits. Both Huber and Morio finished the game with two strikeouts each.

Then, with runner at third and one out, the Cardinals turned to Rothwell in the top of the seventh, who did not disappoint by striking out both batters she faced in the inning.

"I thought all the pitchers looked really well in the second game," Ciolli Bartlett said. "We got a great performance from Darcie. Tieghan came in and did a great job in relief. Alyssa was then able to slam the door, which is her job as the closer."

BGSU would also manage to load the bases off Rothwell with one out in the eighth, but she answered back with her third strikeout and was able to collect a pop up to strand the bases loaded and give Ball State's offense a chance to win in the bottom of the eighth. Rothwell would end up being the winning pitcher, improving to 3-0 on the year.

The day's opener saw Bowling Green score four runs in the first and another in the second to pull ahead 5-0.

Ball State actually had a chance to counter the Falcons' four-run first, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, a hard liner by freshman first baseman Mackenzie McCarty was somehow snagged by the BGSU second baseman and led to a double play, while a groundout ended the inning and kept the Cardinals off the board.

Senior catcher Madison Lee was able to get the Cardinals on the board in the bottom of the second, providing her first home run of the season to cut the lead to 5-1.

Ball State then loaded the bases again to open the bottom of the third. McCarty followed with another shot to second, which turned into an RBI fielder's choice to cut the lead to 5-2. An error on the play also kept the bases loaded.

Daniel followed with an RBI single up the middle, while junior Kennedy Wynn drew a one-out bases loaded walk to bring the Cardinals within one.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to score again as Bowling Green went on to win the game 5-4.

The Ball State softball team returns to action Wednesday, when it closes a three-game midweek series versus Northern Illinois with a 2 p.m. first pitch back at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.

For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB, @CoachCBartlett & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSB.

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Team Stats

Haley Dominique

Stacy Payton

Amaia Daniel

Madison Lee

Players Mentioned

Amaia Daniel

Haley Dominique

Trinity Eckerty

Darcie Huber

Madison Lee

Mackenzie McCarty

Aeshia Miles

Tieghan Morio

Kennedy Wynn

Players Mentioned

Amaia Daniel

Haley Dominique

Trinity Eckerty

Darcie Huber

Madison Lee

Mackenzie McCarty

Aeshia Miles

Tieghan Morio

Kennedy Wynn