Saturday, February 19
Rock Hill, S.C.
12:30 PM
Ball State University
2-6
2
vs
3
Albany
2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
R
H
E
Ball State
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
8
1
Albany
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
3
4
1
Johnson’s Home Run Sparks Softball in Win Over WCU
February 19, 2022 | Softball
ROCK HILL, S.C. - - With one swing of the bat, senior pinch hitter Delanie Johnson set the tone for what turned out to be a five-run seventh inning that lifted the Ball State softball team to a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over Western Carolina to close the second day of the Winthrop Eagle Invitational.
In its second game of the day, the Cardinals (3-6) entered the seventh inning trailing the Catamounts (7-3) by a score of 6-2. However, Johnson's one-out blast, her first of the season, sparked a furious BSU rally.
Redshirt junior catcher Jazmyne Armendariz followed with a walk, while a single from sophomore transfer center fielder Remington Ross put a pair of runners on for senior left fielder Faith Hensley.
BSU's RBI leader from a year ago would not disappoint, blasting a three-run shot to right-center field to tie the score at six. It was her second home run of the game, as she also hit a solo shot to give Ball State its first run of the game in the top of the third.
Sophomore shortstop Kayla Lissy would follow Hensley's seventh-inning blast with a big play of her own, a blooper to shallow left-center field. Trying to turn the hit into a double, Lissy drew a throw from the left fielder which sailed past an uncovered base allowing BSU's speedster to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
WCU scored the game's opening run in the bottom of the first and held the lead until Hensley's shot in the top of the third. BSU would take a 2-1 lead on an RBI single from Hensley in the top of the fifth, only to have the Catamounts respond with three runs in the bottom of the frame and two more in the sixth.
Cue the come-back Cardinals, who rallied for their second come-from-behind victory of the season.
Unfortunately, Ball State was unable to rally for the win in Saturday's opener, dropping another extra-inning thriller to Albany by a score of 3-2 (8).
After five-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Great Danes would get on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
However, the Cardinals quickly countered as senior first baseman Mackenzie McCarty smashed her first home run of the season with one out in the top of the seventh to tie the score and eventually force extra innings.
The Cardinals would strike first in the eighth, as placed runner Hannah Dukeman advanced to third on a Hensley sacrifice bunt and scored on a Lissy sac fly.
Albany would not concede the contest however, countering with an RBI double to score the placed runner to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Unfortunately, after a sac bunt moved the runner to third, back-to-back walks loaded the bases.
The Great Danes then tried to catch the Cardinals napping, with the runner at third taking off for home on a throwback to the circle after a pitch. Ball State was able to react in time, but the runner was called safe by obstruction to end the game.
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Winthrop Eagle Invitational Sunday afternoon with a scheduled 12:30 p.m. first pitch versus the host Eagles.
In its second game of the day, the Cardinals (3-6) entered the seventh inning trailing the Catamounts (7-3) by a score of 6-2. However, Johnson's one-out blast, her first of the season, sparked a furious BSU rally.
Redshirt junior catcher Jazmyne Armendariz followed with a walk, while a single from sophomore transfer center fielder Remington Ross put a pair of runners on for senior left fielder Faith Hensley.
BSU's RBI leader from a year ago would not disappoint, blasting a three-run shot to right-center field to tie the score at six. It was her second home run of the game, as she also hit a solo shot to give Ball State its first run of the game in the top of the third.
Sophomore shortstop Kayla Lissy would follow Hensley's seventh-inning blast with a big play of her own, a blooper to shallow left-center field. Trying to turn the hit into a double, Lissy drew a throw from the left fielder which sailed past an uncovered base allowing BSU's speedster to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
WCU scored the game's opening run in the bottom of the first and held the lead until Hensley's shot in the top of the third. BSU would take a 2-1 lead on an RBI single from Hensley in the top of the fifth, only to have the Catamounts respond with three runs in the bottom of the frame and two more in the sixth.
Cue the come-back Cardinals, who rallied for their second come-from-behind victory of the season.
Unfortunately, Ball State was unable to rally for the win in Saturday's opener, dropping another extra-inning thriller to Albany by a score of 3-2 (8).
After five-and-a-half scoreless innings, the Great Danes would get on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
However, the Cardinals quickly countered as senior first baseman Mackenzie McCarty smashed her first home run of the season with one out in the top of the seventh to tie the score and eventually force extra innings.
The Cardinals would strike first in the eighth, as placed runner Hannah Dukeman advanced to third on a Hensley sacrifice bunt and scored on a Lissy sac fly.
Albany would not concede the contest however, countering with an RBI double to score the placed runner to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Unfortunately, after a sac bunt moved the runner to third, back-to-back walks loaded the bases.
The Great Danes then tried to catch the Cardinals napping, with the runner at third taking off for home on a throwback to the circle after a pitch. Ball State was able to react in time, but the runner was called safe by obstruction to end the game.
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Winthrop Eagle Invitational Sunday afternoon with a scheduled 12:30 p.m. first pitch versus the host Eagles.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wendi Hammond (1-1)
L: Jones, Deborah (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Wynn, Haley 1 ; Johnson, Delanie 1
HR: McCarty, Mackenzie 1
RBI: Lissy, Kayla 1 ; McCarty, Mackenzie 1
SH: Hensley, Faith 1 ; Daniel, Amaia 1
SF: Lissy, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McCarty, Mackenzie 1 ; Dukeman, Hannah 1
CS: Wynn, Haley 1
Batting:
2B: Caitlyn Frederick 1
HR: Morgan Petty 1
RBI: Morgan Petty 1 ; Caitlyn Frederick 1
SH: Caitlyn Mitros 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morgan Petty 1 ; Alexis Phillips 1 ; Caitlyn Frederick 1
SB: Morgan Petty 1 ; Love Drumgole 2 ; Caitlyn Frederick 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
4
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/Uti
/ Softball
OF/C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/Uti
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/Uti
/ Softball
OF
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Wednesday, May 21