Saturday, February 27
Carbondale, IL
11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT
Ball State University
2-1
5
vs
2
Austin Peay
4-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ball State
3
0
1
0
1
0
0
5
11
2
Austin Peay
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
2
3
1
Photo by: Kirk Meche
Softball Tops Austin Peay in Saturday Action
February 27, 2021 | Softball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - - Junior shortstop Amaia Daniel opened Saturday with a solo home run, while junior designated player Faith Hensley recorded three hits and a pair of RBI to lead the Ball State softball team to a 5-2 victory over Austin Peay on the second day of the Coach B Classic hosted by Southern Illinois.
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Unfortunately, the Cardinals (2-2) saw their early-season winning streak come to an end later in the afternoon with a 6-1 loss to the tournament host and undefeated Salukis (8-0). SIU already owns a win over a top 25 team this season, earning a 6-5 (8) victory at No. 22 Mississippi State, who the Cardinals will face next Friday.
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In the first big coaching connection of the season, Saturday's win over the Governors (4-2) saw first-year Ball State head coach Lacy Wood earn her second career win over an APSU squad led by head coach Kassie Stanfill who was an assistant for the Cardinals from 2013-15.
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Overall, the Cardinals had another solid all-around day on offense, with 19 total hits. Senior Haley Dominique had five of them over the two games, including an RBI single to drive in Ball State's lone run versus SIU. Senior first baseman Janae Hogg and Hensley also finished the day with three hits each, while nine players tallied at least one hit.
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Through the first four games, Dominique is batting .667 (6-for-9) and owns an even more impressive .769 on base percentage. Hensley is right behind with a .556 (5-for-9) average and a team-leading 1.000 slugging percentage.
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In the circle, junior Tieghan Morio picked up her first win of the year after holding APSU to just one hit and an unearned run over the first 4.0 innings. Sophomore Deborah Jones relieved her and earned the save after allowing just two hits over the final 3.0 innings.
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The Ball State softball team is scheduled to close play in the Coach B Classic Sunday morning with a 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT rematch versus DePaul.
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Game 1 Recap: Ball State 5, Austin Peay 2
Sparked by Daniel's home run to lead off the game, the Cardinals quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Senior third baseman Stacy Payton would follow a one-out double by senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn with an RBI single down the right field line to plate the second run.
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After a two-out double by Dominique, Hensley registered her first of three hits in the game with an RBI single up the middle to give Ball State its third run of the contest.
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After a scoreless second inning, the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 thinks to an RBI groundout from sophomore catcher Jazmyne Armendariz. Freshman pinch runner Brooke Ligacki scored on the play after entering for Dominique who reached on an error, moving to second on a wild pitch and advancing to third on a Hensley double to left.
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The Governors countered with a one-out, first and third steal which saw the runner at second get caught in a rundown which allowed the runner at third to score.
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Following another scoreless inning, the Cardinals used a one-out RBI single from Hensley to plate its fifth run of the game in the top of the fifth. The single drove in sophomore pinch runner Haley Wynn who entered after a two-out double from Hogg and advanced to third on a single from Dominique.
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Once again, APSU would answer in the bottom of the inning, this time using an RBI single from Lexi Osowski to trim the Ball State lead.
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That was the only run Austin Peay would get the remainder of the game, however, as Jones retired eight of the final nine batters she faced to pick up her first career save. She allowed just two hits over her 3.0 innings of work, while striking out a pair.
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Morio on the other hand, picked up her 11th career victory by limiting APSU to one hit and an unearned run over her 4.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair.
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Game 2 Recap: SIU 6, Ball State 1
Unfortunately, the nightcap saw Southern Illinois jump out to a 6-0 lead, scoring one run in the second, four in the third and another in the fifth.
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Ball State tried to mount a late-inning comeback, however, starting with a K. Wynn walk to open the sixth. Two batters later, Hogg followed with a single to right setting up an RBI single down the left field line for Dominique. It was Dominique's third hit and three at bats versus the Salukis.
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Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not continue the rally as SIU's Sarah Harness retired the next five batters she faced, including the final two batters of the sixth.
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Senior Darcie Huber started the game in the circles, throwing the first 3.0 innings and striking out three. Senior Alyssa Rothwell threw the final 3.0 innings, adding two more strikeouts to her season total.
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Unfortunately, the Cardinals (2-2) saw their early-season winning streak come to an end later in the afternoon with a 6-1 loss to the tournament host and undefeated Salukis (8-0). SIU already owns a win over a top 25 team this season, earning a 6-5 (8) victory at No. 22 Mississippi State, who the Cardinals will face next Friday.
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In the first big coaching connection of the season, Saturday's win over the Governors (4-2) saw first-year Ball State head coach Lacy Wood earn her second career win over an APSU squad led by head coach Kassie Stanfill who was an assistant for the Cardinals from 2013-15.
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Overall, the Cardinals had another solid all-around day on offense, with 19 total hits. Senior Haley Dominique had five of them over the two games, including an RBI single to drive in Ball State's lone run versus SIU. Senior first baseman Janae Hogg and Hensley also finished the day with three hits each, while nine players tallied at least one hit.
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Through the first four games, Dominique is batting .667 (6-for-9) and owns an even more impressive .769 on base percentage. Hensley is right behind with a .556 (5-for-9) average and a team-leading 1.000 slugging percentage.
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In the circle, junior Tieghan Morio picked up her first win of the year after holding APSU to just one hit and an unearned run over the first 4.0 innings. Sophomore Deborah Jones relieved her and earned the save after allowing just two hits over the final 3.0 innings.
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The Ball State softball team is scheduled to close play in the Coach B Classic Sunday morning with a 11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT rematch versus DePaul.
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Game 1 Recap: Ball State 5, Austin Peay 2
Sparked by Daniel's home run to lead off the game, the Cardinals quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Senior third baseman Stacy Payton would follow a one-out double by senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn with an RBI single down the right field line to plate the second run.
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After a two-out double by Dominique, Hensley registered her first of three hits in the game with an RBI single up the middle to give Ball State its third run of the contest.
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After a scoreless second inning, the Cardinals extended their lead to 4-0 thinks to an RBI groundout from sophomore catcher Jazmyne Armendariz. Freshman pinch runner Brooke Ligacki scored on the play after entering for Dominique who reached on an error, moving to second on a wild pitch and advancing to third on a Hensley double to left.
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The Governors countered with a one-out, first and third steal which saw the runner at second get caught in a rundown which allowed the runner at third to score.
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Following another scoreless inning, the Cardinals used a one-out RBI single from Hensley to plate its fifth run of the game in the top of the fifth. The single drove in sophomore pinch runner Haley Wynn who entered after a two-out double from Hogg and advanced to third on a single from Dominique.
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Once again, APSU would answer in the bottom of the inning, this time using an RBI single from Lexi Osowski to trim the Ball State lead.
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That was the only run Austin Peay would get the remainder of the game, however, as Jones retired eight of the final nine batters she faced to pick up her first career save. She allowed just two hits over her 3.0 innings of work, while striking out a pair.
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Morio on the other hand, picked up her 11th career victory by limiting APSU to one hit and an unearned run over her 4.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair.
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Game 2 Recap: SIU 6, Ball State 1
Unfortunately, the nightcap saw Southern Illinois jump out to a 6-0 lead, scoring one run in the second, four in the third and another in the fifth.
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Ball State tried to mount a late-inning comeback, however, starting with a K. Wynn walk to open the sixth. Two batters later, Hogg followed with a single to right setting up an RBI single down the left field line for Dominique. It was Dominique's third hit and three at bats versus the Salukis.
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Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not continue the rally as SIU's Sarah Harness retired the next five batters she faced, including the final two batters of the sixth.
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Senior Darcie Huber started the game in the circles, throwing the first 3.0 innings and striking out three. Senior Alyssa Rothwell threw the final 3.0 innings, adding two more strikeouts to her season total.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morio, Tieghan (1-1)
L: MULLINS, Harley (1-2)
S: Jones, Deborah (1)
Batting:
2B: Wynn, Kennedy 1 ; Hogg, Janae 1 ; Dominique, Haley 1 ; Hensley, Faith 1
HR: Daniel, Amaia 1
RBI: Daniel, Amaia 1 ; Payton, Stacy 1 ; Hensley, Faith 2 ; Armendariz, Jazmyne 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Daniel, Amaia 1 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1 ; Payton, Stacy 1 ; Wynn, Haley 1 ; Ligacki, Brooke 1
Batting:
RBI: OSOWSKI, Lexi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHORTER, Bailey 2
CS: PFEFFERLE, Brooke 1
HBP: JACKSON, Brett 1 ; SMITH, Katelyn 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
lf/ph
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/Uti
/ Softball
Uti
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
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