Ball State University
1-1
Arizona
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Cardinals Beat #22 Arizona In Extras
February 20, 2021 | Baseball
Time to add another card on the wall.Â
Ball State outlasted #22 Arizona, also ranked 17th and 10th in various polls, 8-7 in 11 innings last night for its first win over a ranked team since 2017. The Cardinals trailed 6-3, rallied, gave up the lead, tied the game again, stopped a walk-off steal of home attempt, used their ace for four relief innings and won the game with an RBI walk.
"This was a great team win!" head coach Rich Maloney said. "It's a huge win for our program. We fought back - I loved the way we competed."
Maloney likened Saturday's win to a the team's 7-1 win at LSU in 2016, but said the way the Cardinals rallied makes it extra special.
"Coming from behind late after the home run made this special - how we answered back against a ranked team," Maloney said.
John Baker, originally scheduled to start Sunday's game, put up zeroes until Ryan Peltier started the game-winning rally in the top of the 11th. With the bases loaded, Arizona tried to win the game in the bottom of the 9th by stealing home. Chase Sebby caught caught a pitch and put the tag down to keep the Cardinals alive.
"John was out of the windup and threw a changeup, but luckily I think he realized he was going so he hurried up a bit," Sebby said. "I had to come forward a bit so I could catch it closer to the playe and once I had it the runner wasn't close to the plate so it was just a matter of putting the tag on him."
The team teams went to the 11th tied, where Peltier singled to lead off the inning and then moved to 2nd base on a passed ball. Noah Navarro kept the inning alive with an infield single and Ross Messina's bases-loaded walk pushed Peltier across with the go-ahead run. It was BSU's third bases-loaded walk of the night. Baker then shut the door in the last half.
Baker pitched four innings for the win, striking out seven. Navarro had three hits on the night and Messina and Peltier each scored two runs.Â
"Watching John Baker pitch in this game is something I will never forget," Maloney said. "He was simply marvelous."
A 3-run homer in the 6th put Arizona up 6-3, but that was actually the beginning of the game. Ball State put up a 4-spot to tie the game at 7 in the 8th inning. Two RBI walks and an RBI single from Adam Tellier keyed the comeback. Baker, who earned his 19th career win, carved the Arizona lineup until the game-winning plays were made on offense in the 11th.Â
Game 3 of the series is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Game 4 is Monday morning and the Cardinals will fly home afterward.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, John (1-0)
L: Churchill, Ian (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Messina, Ross 1 ; Powell, Nick 1
RBI: Quartermaine, Trenton 1 ; Messina, Ross 1 ; Powell, Nick 1 ; Fitzpatrick, Cade 1 ; Sebby, Chase 1 ; Tellier, Adam 1 ; Simpson, Aaron 1
SF: Quartermaine, Trenton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Quartermaine, Trenton 1 ; Messina, Ross 2 ; Powell, Nick 1 ; Fitzpatrick, Cade 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 2 ; Conant, Justin 1
SB: Navarro, Noah 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 1
HBP: Powell, Nick 1 ; Sebby, Chase 1
Batting:
2B: Paugh, Blake 1
HR: Holgate, Ryan 1
RBI: Boissiere, Branden 1 ; Holgate, Ryan 3 ; Bingham, Mac 3
SH: Williams, Donta 1 ; Boissiere, Branden 1 ; Berry, Jacob 1
SF: Bingham, Mac 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kato, Kobe 1 ; Boissiere, Branden 1 ; Holgate, Ryan 2 ; Susac, Daniel 1 ; Casagrande, Tyler 1 ; Bingham, Mac 1
SB: Williams, Donta 1
CS: Blas, Jacob 1
HBP: Blas, Jacob 1 ; Susac, Daniel 1
