Friday, April 23
Muncie, IN
2 p.m.
Ball State University
23-11, 17-1
4
vs
2
Ohio
16-16, 12-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ohio
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
7
1
Ball State
0
1
0
3
0
0
X
4
6
3
Photo by: Robert Goldberg
Softball Rallies For Pair of Friday Wins Over Ohio
April 23, 2021 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team was down, but never out in Friday's Mid-American Conference doubleheader versus Ohio at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
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In the opener, it was a home run from senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico and the return of senior closer Alyssa Rothwell which helped the Cardinals rally from down two runs for a 4-2 victory.
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Magnifico smashed her first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, a three-run blast that gave the game its final score of 4-2. Rothwell followed up a brilliant performance from junior starter Tieghan Morio by holding the Bobcats (16-17, 12-12 MAC) off the board in the seventh for her 30th career save.
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In the nightcap, Ball State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, only to see the Ohio respond with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. Once again, no problem for the Cardinals, who tied the score on a RBI single from junior left fielder Faith Hensley in the bottom of the frame.Â
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Then, cue some more late-inning heroics from sophomore third baseman Haley Wynn, who drove in the game-winning run on a sac fly to deep center field. It sealed a 3-2 victory and the doubleheader sweep over the Bobcats, and moved the Cardinals to 18-1 in league play.
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Neither victory would have happened, however, without some strong performances from Ball State's starting pitchers. In game one, Morio recovered from two early unearned runs to shut down the Bobcats over her final five innings of work. In all, she allowed just five hits and two unearned runs over her 6.0 innings, striking out four. With the win, Morio improved to 7-2 on the year.
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In the second game victory, senior Darcie Huber was perfect through the first eight batters and yielded just five hits and two runs over her 5.2 innings of work. She also struck out five batters. After Rothwell got the final batter of the sixth to fly out to center, stopping the Ohio rally, sophomore Deborah Jones entered to throw the final inning.Â
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Jones would retire the side in order, bookending her seventh inning with strikeouts, and earned the win after Ball State rallied for winning run in the bottom of the frame. She improved to 10-3 overall with the victory.
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The Cardinals and Bobcats are scheduled to return to action Saturday at noon for game three of the four-game set. The teams will close out the series Sunday at noon.Â
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GAME 1 RECAP: Ball State 4 - Ohio 2
In Friday's opener, the Bobcats capitalized on a pair of Ball State errors to score two runs in the opening inning.
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Those were the only runs the Ball State defense would allow, however, as Morio recovered to dominate in the circle, while the defense picked up its play.
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The Cardinals were able to get one of the runs back in the bottom of the second, starting with an inning-opening double off the top of the fence in center field by Hensley. After Hensley moved to third on a groundout from Magnifico, senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn brought her home with a RBI single up the middle.
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The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Magnifico provide some more excitement. After Hensley walked and senior designated player Delanie Johnson reached on an error with one out, Magnifico blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center for her first home run of the season, making it a 4-2 game.
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Ball State held on from there, with Rothwell throwing the final inning to lock up her 30th career save. Her 30 career saves are 10 more than any other active player in NCAA Division I, and are three shy of breaking the current NCAA record of 32 set by Mississippi State's Kellie Willkerson (1999-2002).
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GAME 2: Ball State 3 - Ohio 2
In Friday's second game, it was the Cardinals who would jump out in front first with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Senior right fielder Haley Dominique opened the inning with a single to right and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Brooke Ligacki.Â
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Senior catcher Stacy Payton followed with what looked like a perfectly executed bunt single. However, the call did not go Ball State's way at first, leaving Payton with a sac bunt as Ligacki advantage to second.
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It proved huge regardless of the call, as senior first baseman Janae Hogg lasered a shot up the middle to plate the speedy Ligacki from second.
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After a scoreless fifth inning, Ohio took a 2-1 advantage courtesy of a leadoff single and a one-out, two-run home run.
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The lead was short-lived, however, as the Cardinals countered for the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Payton drew a one-out walk to start the rally, and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Kaitlyn Mathews. Hogg just missed putting Ball State ahead, driving a shot to the fence, but a leaping catch from Ohio's left fielder kept the ball in the park. It was good enough to move Mathews to second, however, which proved big.
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After fouling off the first pitch she saw, Hensley would drive Mathews home with a hard-hit single to right center.
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After Jones shut down the Bobcats in the top of the seventh, Ball State added a little more magic in the home half. Redshirt sophomore second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz reached on an error to open the inning, and was replaced by senior pinch runner Katie Janiga.
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Two batters later, a perfectly executed hit-and-run by freshman shortstop Kayla Lissy put runners on the corners. H. Wynn would end it in the next at bat, smashing a sac-fly to deep center field which allowed Janiga to score from third.  Â
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In the opener, it was a home run from senior second baseman Gabby Magnifico and the return of senior closer Alyssa Rothwell which helped the Cardinals rally from down two runs for a 4-2 victory.
Â
Magnifico smashed her first home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, a three-run blast that gave the game its final score of 4-2. Rothwell followed up a brilliant performance from junior starter Tieghan Morio by holding the Bobcats (16-17, 12-12 MAC) off the board in the seventh for her 30th career save.
Â
In the nightcap, Ball State took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, only to see the Ohio respond with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. Once again, no problem for the Cardinals, who tied the score on a RBI single from junior left fielder Faith Hensley in the bottom of the frame.Â
Â
Then, cue some more late-inning heroics from sophomore third baseman Haley Wynn, who drove in the game-winning run on a sac fly to deep center field. It sealed a 3-2 victory and the doubleheader sweep over the Bobcats, and moved the Cardinals to 18-1 in league play.
Â
Neither victory would have happened, however, without some strong performances from Ball State's starting pitchers. In game one, Morio recovered from two early unearned runs to shut down the Bobcats over her final five innings of work. In all, she allowed just five hits and two unearned runs over her 6.0 innings, striking out four. With the win, Morio improved to 7-2 on the year.
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In the second game victory, senior Darcie Huber was perfect through the first eight batters and yielded just five hits and two runs over her 5.2 innings of work. She also struck out five batters. After Rothwell got the final batter of the sixth to fly out to center, stopping the Ohio rally, sophomore Deborah Jones entered to throw the final inning.Â
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Jones would retire the side in order, bookending her seventh inning with strikeouts, and earned the win after Ball State rallied for winning run in the bottom of the frame. She improved to 10-3 overall with the victory.
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The Cardinals and Bobcats are scheduled to return to action Saturday at noon for game three of the four-game set. The teams will close out the series Sunday at noon.Â
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GAME 1 RECAP: Ball State 4 - Ohio 2
In Friday's opener, the Bobcats capitalized on a pair of Ball State errors to score two runs in the opening inning.
Â
Those were the only runs the Ball State defense would allow, however, as Morio recovered to dominate in the circle, while the defense picked up its play.
Â
The Cardinals were able to get one of the runs back in the bottom of the second, starting with an inning-opening double off the top of the fence in center field by Hensley. After Hensley moved to third on a groundout from Magnifico, senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn brought her home with a RBI single up the middle.
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The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Magnifico provide some more excitement. After Hensley walked and senior designated player Delanie Johnson reached on an error with one out, Magnifico blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center for her first home run of the season, making it a 4-2 game.
Â
Ball State held on from there, with Rothwell throwing the final inning to lock up her 30th career save. Her 30 career saves are 10 more than any other active player in NCAA Division I, and are three shy of breaking the current NCAA record of 32 set by Mississippi State's Kellie Willkerson (1999-2002).
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GAME 2: Ball State 3 - Ohio 2
In Friday's second game, it was the Cardinals who would jump out in front first with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Senior right fielder Haley Dominique opened the inning with a single to right and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Brooke Ligacki.Â
Â
Senior catcher Stacy Payton followed with what looked like a perfectly executed bunt single. However, the call did not go Ball State's way at first, leaving Payton with a sac bunt as Ligacki advantage to second.
Â
It proved huge regardless of the call, as senior first baseman Janae Hogg lasered a shot up the middle to plate the speedy Ligacki from second.
Â
After a scoreless fifth inning, Ohio took a 2-1 advantage courtesy of a leadoff single and a one-out, two-run home run.
Â
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Cardinals countered for the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Payton drew a one-out walk to start the rally, and was replaced by freshman pinch runner Kaitlyn Mathews. Hogg just missed putting Ball State ahead, driving a shot to the fence, but a leaping catch from Ohio's left fielder kept the ball in the park. It was good enough to move Mathews to second, however, which proved big.
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After fouling off the first pitch she saw, Hensley would drive Mathews home with a hard-hit single to right center.
Â
After Jones shut down the Bobcats in the top of the seventh, Ball State added a little more magic in the home half. Redshirt sophomore second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz reached on an error to open the inning, and was replaced by senior pinch runner Katie Janiga.
Â
Two batters later, a perfectly executed hit-and-run by freshman shortstop Kayla Lissy put runners on the corners. H. Wynn would end it in the next at bat, smashing a sac-fly to deep center field which allowed Janiga to score from third.  Â
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morio, Tieghan (7-2)
L: Kohl, Makenzie (7-8)
S: Rothwell, Alyssa (2)
Batting:
2B: Fogue, Caitlin 1
RBI: Vaughn, Mikenzie 1
SF: Vaughn, Mikenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Englant, Allie 1 ; Yun, Katie 1
SB: Englant, Allie 2 ; Yun, Katie 1
CS: Fogue, Caitlin 1
Batting:
2B: Hensley, Faith 1
HR: Magnifico, Gabby 1
RBI: Magnifico, Gabby 3 ; Wynn, Kennedy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hensley, Faith 2 ; Dukeman, Hannah 1 ; Magnifico, Gabby 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/Uti
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/Uti
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
OF
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