Friday, February 26
Carbondale, IL
11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT
Ball State University
0-1
5
vs
6
DePaul
4-2
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6
7
8
9
R
H
E
DePaul
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Ball State
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Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Team Effort Leads to Strong Opening Day for Softball
February 26, 2021 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - -Â Â The Ball State softball team completed the opening day of the Coach B Classic hosted by Southern Illinois with a dominating 8-1 victory over Saint Louis Friday afternoon at Charlotte West Stadium.
"The first time out held a lot of excitement, you could feel It in the air.," Wood said. "There were a lot of things we learned about ourselves today, which is exciting. This group is wanting to learn and grow every day. I though we improved every inning, which allowed us to finish strong."
After falling in a hard-fought 6-5 (9) contest to perennial Big East power DePaul in the opening game of the season, the Cardinals (1-1) answered with an impressive win over the Billikens (0-2) out of the Atlantic 10. It was the program's first win under first-year head coach Lacy Wood who was named the 10th head coach of the program in August.
"The first win is special, you only get one," Wood said. "But being surrounded by this group of young women makes it that much sweeter."
Overall, the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits over the two games, with 12 players logging at least one. Two of the biggest hits, a two-run home run by junior outfielder Faith Hensley in the ninth inning versus DePaul and a three-run blast by junior catcher Stacy Payton in the sixth inning of the win over SLU.
"The depth of this team makes it a lot of fun on the coaching side of things," Wood said. "It allows for a lot of moving parts and makes the game in the game that much more enjoyable. It also creates an environment where the players know their number can be called at any point."
Hensley, Payton and junior shortstop Amaia Daniel each finished the day with two hits, while senior left fielder Haley Dominique registered a team-leading .833 on base percentage with a single, three walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt.
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In the circle, Ball State's pitchers combined to allow just five earned runs over the two games for a 2.19 ERA on the day. Sophomore Deborah Jones picked up the win over the Billikens, while senior Darcie Huber earned the save. Huber and opening game starter senior Alyssa Rothwell each tallied five strikeouts, while Jones threw four.
"The pitchers were definitely another bright spot on the day," Wood added. "They have really worked the past few months and have developed individually, and as a staff.  It's fun to watch them finally get out there in the circle and compete."
The Ball State softball team returns to action in the Coach B Classic Saturday with games versus Austin Peay (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT) and the host Salukis (1:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. CT). Â
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Game 2 Recap: Ball State 5, St. Louis 1
In Friday's second game, it was St. Louis which would strike first courtesy of a two-out RBI single through the right side by Aubrey Hacke in the bottom of the third.
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Ball State would counter quickly, however, taking the lead at 2-1 in the top of the fourth. Senior catcher Stacy Payton and senior first basemen Janae Hogg drew back-to-back one out walks to start the rally. Two batters later, senior left fielder Haley Dominique was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
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BSU's first run crossed the plate in the next at bat, when sophomore third baseman Haley Wynn was also hit by a pitch. Senior right fielder Katie Janiga followed with an RBI single to push the Cardinals in front 2-1.
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After SLU stranded a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 5-1 with three more runs in the top of the fifth. Junior shortstop Amaia Daniel started the rally with a double down the left field line, while senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico followed with a walk.
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Senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn then got into the action with her first hit of the young season, an RBI single to left-center field. After a double steal by Magnifico and Wynn put a pair of runners in scoring position, Payton capitalized with an RBI single up the middle. Junior pinch hitter Mackenzie McCarty followed with a sacrifice fly to left, capping the scoring in the inning.
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St. Louis looked to threaten in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs. However, after a brief rain delay, senior relief pitcher Darcie Huber, who started the inning, got the final batter swinging to maintain the 5-1 lead.
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Payton would pick up three more RBI in the top of the sixth, extending Ball State's advantage to 8-1 with a two-out, three-run home run to center field. Senior pinch hitter Hailey Demnianiuk and K. Wynn set up the three-run shot with back-to-back two-out walks.
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In the circle, sophomore Deborah Jones picked up right where she left off last season, earning the victory after limiting SLU to four hits and one earned run over the first four innings of play. She also struck out four batters.
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Huber would earn the save after entering the game in the bottom of the fifth with the Cardinals leading 2-1. She struck out five of the 13 batters she faced over her 3.0 innings of work.
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Game 1 Recap: DePaul 6, Ball State 5 (9)
In the opening game of the season, Ball State gave perennial Big East power DePaul all it could handle in an extra-inning thriller. Unfortunately, the Cardinals fell a run short to the 21-time NCAA Regional participant Blue Demons (4-2) in a 6-5 (9) loss.
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Ball State jumped on the scoreboard early, capitalizing on a two-out throwing error in the bottom of the first inning to score the game's first two runs. Senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico singled to left center to open the inning and moved to second on a two-out single through the left side by senior first baseman Janae Hogg.Â
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After a walk to senior left fielder Haley Dominique loaded the bases, a throwing error by the pitcher on a ball hit by junior shortstop Amaia Daniel allowed the first two runs of the game to score.
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The Cardinals held the lead until the top of the fourth inning, when a two-out RBI double by DePaul's Angela Scalzitti tied the score.
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The score remained deadlocked at two apiece until the top of the eighth inning, when the Blue Demons took early advantage of the international tiebreaker and used a walk, sac bunt and RBI single up the middle to push the placed runner home.
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Ball State would counter in the bottom of the inning, however, as Hogg was placed and second and replaced by senior pinch runner Katie Janiga. A sac bunt from Dominique moved Janiga to second, while a two-out RBI double to left-center field from senior catcher Delanie Johnson tied the score.
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In the top of the ninth, a pair of wild pitches allowed the placed runner to push the go-ahead run across the plate early. A walk and a two-out, two-run home run from Brooke Johnson then gave the Blue Demons a 6-3 edge.
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The Cardinals would not go away quietly, however, as junior right fielder Faith Hensley blasted her second career home run to lead off the inning, bring home sophomore placed runner Haley Wynn in the process. Unfortunately, the Cardinals' next three batters were retired in order to give DePaul the win.
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Despite the loss, the Cardinals were able to out-hit DePaul by a 7-to-3 margin in the contest. Hensley had two of the hits, including her home run and a fourth inning infield single.
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In the circle, senior Alyssa Rothwell threw the first 4.0 innings, striking out five batters and allowing just one hit. Junior Tieghan Morio pitched the final 5.0 innings and suffered the loss after striking out two batters and allowing just a pair of hits.
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DePaul's Krista Dalgarn picked up the complete game victory, throwing all 9.0 innings and holding the Cardinals to seven hits and one earned run while striking out nine.
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"The first time out held a lot of excitement, you could feel It in the air.," Wood said. "There were a lot of things we learned about ourselves today, which is exciting. This group is wanting to learn and grow every day. I though we improved every inning, which allowed us to finish strong."
After falling in a hard-fought 6-5 (9) contest to perennial Big East power DePaul in the opening game of the season, the Cardinals (1-1) answered with an impressive win over the Billikens (0-2) out of the Atlantic 10. It was the program's first win under first-year head coach Lacy Wood who was named the 10th head coach of the program in August.
"The first win is special, you only get one," Wood said. "But being surrounded by this group of young women makes it that much sweeter."
Overall, the Cardinals pounded out 15 hits over the two games, with 12 players logging at least one. Two of the biggest hits, a two-run home run by junior outfielder Faith Hensley in the ninth inning versus DePaul and a three-run blast by junior catcher Stacy Payton in the sixth inning of the win over SLU.
"The depth of this team makes it a lot of fun on the coaching side of things," Wood said. "It allows for a lot of moving parts and makes the game in the game that much more enjoyable. It also creates an environment where the players know their number can be called at any point."
Hensley, Payton and junior shortstop Amaia Daniel each finished the day with two hits, while senior left fielder Haley Dominique registered a team-leading .833 on base percentage with a single, three walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt.
Â
In the circle, Ball State's pitchers combined to allow just five earned runs over the two games for a 2.19 ERA on the day. Sophomore Deborah Jones picked up the win over the Billikens, while senior Darcie Huber earned the save. Huber and opening game starter senior Alyssa Rothwell each tallied five strikeouts, while Jones threw four.
"The pitchers were definitely another bright spot on the day," Wood added. "They have really worked the past few months and have developed individually, and as a staff.  It's fun to watch them finally get out there in the circle and compete."
The Ball State softball team returns to action in the Coach B Classic Saturday with games versus Austin Peay (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT) and the host Salukis (1:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. CT). Â
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Game 2 Recap: Ball State 5, St. Louis 1
In Friday's second game, it was St. Louis which would strike first courtesy of a two-out RBI single through the right side by Aubrey Hacke in the bottom of the third.
Â
Ball State would counter quickly, however, taking the lead at 2-1 in the top of the fourth. Senior catcher Stacy Payton and senior first basemen Janae Hogg drew back-to-back one out walks to start the rally. Two batters later, senior left fielder Haley Dominique was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Â
BSU's first run crossed the plate in the next at bat, when sophomore third baseman Haley Wynn was also hit by a pitch. Senior right fielder Katie Janiga followed with an RBI single to push the Cardinals in front 2-1.
Â
After SLU stranded a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals extended their lead to 5-1 with three more runs in the top of the fifth. Junior shortstop Amaia Daniel started the rally with a double down the left field line, while senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico followed with a walk.
Â
Senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn then got into the action with her first hit of the young season, an RBI single to left-center field. After a double steal by Magnifico and Wynn put a pair of runners in scoring position, Payton capitalized with an RBI single up the middle. Junior pinch hitter Mackenzie McCarty followed with a sacrifice fly to left, capping the scoring in the inning.
Â
St. Louis looked to threaten in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs. However, after a brief rain delay, senior relief pitcher Darcie Huber, who started the inning, got the final batter swinging to maintain the 5-1 lead.
Â
Payton would pick up three more RBI in the top of the sixth, extending Ball State's advantage to 8-1 with a two-out, three-run home run to center field. Senior pinch hitter Hailey Demnianiuk and K. Wynn set up the three-run shot with back-to-back two-out walks.
Â
In the circle, sophomore Deborah Jones picked up right where she left off last season, earning the victory after limiting SLU to four hits and one earned run over the first four innings of play. She also struck out four batters.
Â
Huber would earn the save after entering the game in the bottom of the fifth with the Cardinals leading 2-1. She struck out five of the 13 batters she faced over her 3.0 innings of work.
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Game 1 Recap: DePaul 6, Ball State 5 (9)
In the opening game of the season, Ball State gave perennial Big East power DePaul all it could handle in an extra-inning thriller. Unfortunately, the Cardinals fell a run short to the 21-time NCAA Regional participant Blue Demons (4-2) in a 6-5 (9) loss.
Â
Ball State jumped on the scoreboard early, capitalizing on a two-out throwing error in the bottom of the first inning to score the game's first two runs. Senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico singled to left center to open the inning and moved to second on a two-out single through the left side by senior first baseman Janae Hogg.Â
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After a walk to senior left fielder Haley Dominique loaded the bases, a throwing error by the pitcher on a ball hit by junior shortstop Amaia Daniel allowed the first two runs of the game to score.
Â
The Cardinals held the lead until the top of the fourth inning, when a two-out RBI double by DePaul's Angela Scalzitti tied the score.
Â
The score remained deadlocked at two apiece until the top of the eighth inning, when the Blue Demons took early advantage of the international tiebreaker and used a walk, sac bunt and RBI single up the middle to push the placed runner home.
Â
Ball State would counter in the bottom of the inning, however, as Hogg was placed and second and replaced by senior pinch runner Katie Janiga. A sac bunt from Dominique moved Janiga to second, while a two-out RBI double to left-center field from senior catcher Delanie Johnson tied the score.
Â
In the top of the ninth, a pair of wild pitches allowed the placed runner to push the go-ahead run across the plate early. A walk and a two-out, two-run home run from Brooke Johnson then gave the Blue Demons a 6-3 edge.
Â
The Cardinals would not go away quietly, however, as junior right fielder Faith Hensley blasted her second career home run to lead off the inning, bring home sophomore placed runner Haley Wynn in the process. Unfortunately, the Cardinals' next three batters were retired in order to give DePaul the win.
Â
Despite the loss, the Cardinals were able to out-hit DePaul by a 7-to-3 margin in the contest. Hensley had two of the hits, including her home run and a fourth inning infield single.
Â
In the circle, senior Alyssa Rothwell threw the first 4.0 innings, striking out five batters and allowing just one hit. Junior Tieghan Morio pitched the final 5.0 innings and suffered the loss after striking out two batters and allowing just a pair of hits.
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DePaul's Krista Dalgarn picked up the complete game victory, throwing all 9.0 innings and holding the Cardinals to seven hits and one earned run while striking out nine.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DALGARN, Krista (2-0)
L: Morio, Tieghan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: SCALZITTI, Angela 1
HR: JOHNSON, Brooke 1
RBI: SCALZITTI, Angela 2 ; JOHNSON, Brooke 2 ; SULLIVAN, Nicole 1
SH: MEYER, Tori 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GUTIERREZ, Maranda 1 ; SCALZITTI, Angela 1 ; O'RILEY, Gabby 1 ; RETTIG, Zoie 1 ; JOHNSON, Brooke 1 ; MEYER, Tori 1
SB: GUTIERREZ, Maranda 1
CS: JOHNSON, Brooke 1
HBP: GUTIERREZ, Maranda 1 ; POLUCHA, Kate 1 ; O'RILEY, Gabby 1
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Delanie 1
HR: Hensley, Faith 1
RBI: Johnson, Delanie 1 ; Hensley, Faith 2
SH: Dominique, Haley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Magnifico, Gabby 1 ; Hogg, Janae 1 ; Janiga, Katie 1 ; Wynn, Haley 1 ; Hensley, Faith 1
CS: Wynn, Kennedy 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
Uti
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/Uti
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
C/Uti
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
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