Friday, March 19
Muncie, Ind.
3 p.m.
Ball State University
7-7, 1-0
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Western Michigan
0-7, 0-1
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9
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H
E
Western Michigan
0
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1
Ball State
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Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Baker Tosses Complete Game in MAC-Opening Shutout of Western Michigan
March 19, 2021 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- John Baker threw a complete game shutout to lead the Ball State baseball team to a 2-0 victory over Western Michigan in Friday's Mid-American Conference opener at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
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The senior right-hander struck out 10 and surrendered only four hits in tossing the Cardinals' first complete game since Drey Jameson at Eastern Michigan on April 8, 2018. That one was also a shutout.
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It was a pitchers' duel Friday with the wind blowing in. Ball State (7-7, 0-1 MAC) managed only two hits, one each from Chase Sebby and Ryan Peltier, though the Cardinals also walked four times and had two batters hit by pitches. But BSU did the only scoring of the day, all in the fourth inning.
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"I thought Johnny Baker was superb," head coach Rich Maloney said. "To their credit, we had some runners on and they did a nice job of just holding down the fort. We knew with the wind blowing in it was going to be a tight game, so we needed a great effort like Johnny gave. Hats off the Johnny Baker."
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Ross Messina walked to lead off the fourth, reached second on a wild pitch and third on an error. Sebby sacrificed him home, and Ryan Peltier later plated Trenton Quartermaine – who had reached on the error – with the only hit of the inning.
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That was enough for Baker who faced just one over the minimum through the first six frames. He also got some help from center fielder Aaron Simpson who cut down Western Michigan's Ethan Hadjukovic trying to stretch a double into a triple on the Broncos' first hit of the day in the fifth.
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"I think Aaron Simpson's play was really impressive," Maloney said. "He ran all the way from center field, backed up the play, got the ball and gunned it all the way. Perfect throw. It was the only way we would have got him. They would have had a man on third with less than two outs in a tight ballgame."
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Baker finally faced a threat in the late innings but was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the seventh and got a strikeout after giving up a two-out triple in the eighth.
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Western Michigan starter Zach Mehelich left in the fourth inning after putting aboard the two runners who eventually scored. Sidewinder Will Mullen came on to go the rest of the way for the Broncos (0-7, 0-1 MAC).
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The teams will meet again Saturday in a doubleheader featuring two seven-inning games. Game one starts at noon. The four-game series then wraps up Sunday.
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The senior right-hander struck out 10 and surrendered only four hits in tossing the Cardinals' first complete game since Drey Jameson at Eastern Michigan on April 8, 2018. That one was also a shutout.
Â
It was a pitchers' duel Friday with the wind blowing in. Ball State (7-7, 0-1 MAC) managed only two hits, one each from Chase Sebby and Ryan Peltier, though the Cardinals also walked four times and had two batters hit by pitches. But BSU did the only scoring of the day, all in the fourth inning.
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"I thought Johnny Baker was superb," head coach Rich Maloney said. "To their credit, we had some runners on and they did a nice job of just holding down the fort. We knew with the wind blowing in it was going to be a tight game, so we needed a great effort like Johnny gave. Hats off the Johnny Baker."
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Ross Messina walked to lead off the fourth, reached second on a wild pitch and third on an error. Sebby sacrificed him home, and Ryan Peltier later plated Trenton Quartermaine – who had reached on the error – with the only hit of the inning.
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?? @CoachMaloney breaks down the 2-0, #MACtion opening win over Western Michigan. pic.twitter.com/zX1G0ELyMJ— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) March 19, 2021
That was enough for Baker who faced just one over the minimum through the first six frames. He also got some help from center fielder Aaron Simpson who cut down Western Michigan's Ethan Hadjukovic trying to stretch a double into a triple on the Broncos' first hit of the day in the fifth.
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"I think Aaron Simpson's play was really impressive," Maloney said. "He ran all the way from center field, backed up the play, got the ball and gunned it all the way. Perfect throw. It was the only way we would have got him. They would have had a man on third with less than two outs in a tight ballgame."
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Baker finally faced a threat in the late innings but was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the seventh and got a strikeout after giving up a two-out triple in the eighth.
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Western Michigan starter Zach Mehelich left in the fourth inning after putting aboard the two runners who eventually scored. Sidewinder Will Mullen came on to go the rest of the way for the Broncos (0-7, 0-1 MAC).
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The teams will meet again Saturday in a doubleheader featuring two seven-inning games. Game one starts at noon. The four-game series then wraps up Sunday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, John (2-1)
L: MEHELICH, ZACH (0-1)
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Batting:
2B: HAJDUKOVIC, ETHAN 1
3B: MCINTYRE, JUSTIN 1
SH: HUDSON, LOGAN 1
Batting:
RBI: Sebby, Chase 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 1
SH: Sebby, Chase 1 ; Conant, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Messina, Ross 1 ; Quartermaine, Trenton 1
SB: Tellier, Adam 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 1 ; Simpson, Aaron 1
CS: Simpson, Aaron 1
HBP: Tellier, Adam 1 ; Simpson, Aaron 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
IF-OF
/ Baseball
SS
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
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