Monday, March 14
Muncie, Ind.
11 a.m.
Ball State University
7-8, 2-1
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4
Eastern Michigan
3-9, 1-2
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Eastern Michigan
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7
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Ball State
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Photo by: BSU Photo Services
Cardinals, Eagles Split Two Games on Monday
March 14, 2022 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team opened Mid-American Conference play with a 3-1 series win over Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals and Eagles split a doubleheader from the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex on Monday. Amir Wright has reached base safely in all 16 games this season.
Ball State improved to 8-8 overall and are 3-1 in MAC play after the first weekend of conference play. Eastern Michigan fell to 3-10 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
Game One – EMU 4, BSU 2
The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game one via the long ball. Matt Kirk hit a home run in the first inning and Brady Huebbe followed with a homer in the second. Kirk added another home run, this time a two-run shot to center in the fifth inning.
Amir Wright broke up the no-hit bid as well as the shutout with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 4-1. Zach Cole added a run in the bottom of the seventh as he scored on an error by the shortstop.
Trennor O'Donnell got the loss with four innings pitched. He struck out three and surrendered three earned runs on five hits. Ryan Brown threw three innings in relief with two strikeouts and one earned run on two hits.
Adam Falinski threw a complete game with five strikeouts. He gave up two runs, one earned, on just three hits.
Game Two – Ball State 11, Eastern Michigan 8
In the top of the second, the Eagles had runners on second and third with just one out. Cole tracked down a ball hit towards the left field line and made the catch. The runner from third tried to tag up and score, but Cole came up with a strong throw home to get the runner out to keep the game scoreless.
Justin Conant led off the bottom of the third with a four-pitch walk. Trenton Quartermaine notched a two-out double down the right field line to score Conant from first. BSU held a 1-0 lead after three innings.
The Eagles tied the game in the top of the fifth on a sac fly to center field. EMU took the lead on an RBI double to left field.
Matthew Rivera tied the game with an RBI single to center and scored Nick Powell in the bottom of the sixth.
The seventh inning turned out to be one of the wildest innings baseball fans have seen in a long time. Eastern Michigan started the top of the seventh with a five-run inning to take a 7-2 lead.
The Cardinals were unfazed and resilient in the home half of the inning. BSU scored its first run of the inning on a wild pitch. Quartermaine pulled Ball State within two, with a double that scored two runs. Powell followed with a single to center and advanced to third after the center fielder made a fielding error, which scored Quartermaine from second. Ryan Peltier tied the game with a single through the left side. The Cardinals took an 8-7 lead after Peltier scored on an error by the pitcher. Conant gave BSU an 11-7 lead with a three-run homer to left center.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan combined for a 14-run seventh inning.
In the top of the ninth, Gabe Denton hit a solo home run for EMU to make the score 11-8. BSU held on to win game two, 11-8.
Casey Bargo picked up his first win of the season in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He surrendered one earned run on three hits. Sam Klein recorded his fifth save of the season as he went 1/3 of an inning in relief.
Zach Gillig got the loss in 1/3 of inning as he gave up five runs, two earned, on four hits to go along with one strikeout.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan threw a combined 15 pitchers.
The Cardinals return to the friendly confines of the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex on Friday, March 18. Game one of the four-game series between Ball State and Bowling Green is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start time.
From the Coach – Head Coach Rich Maloney
"Our guys battled all weekend to win the series. A great comeback in game four was the separator, so many guys contributed. Justin Conant got the big hit with a three-run homer in the seventh. Sam Klein was outstanding this weekend getting three saves."
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Ball State improved to 8-8 overall and are 3-1 in MAC play after the first weekend of conference play. Eastern Michigan fell to 3-10 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
Game One – EMU 4, BSU 2
The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game one via the long ball. Matt Kirk hit a home run in the first inning and Brady Huebbe followed with a homer in the second. Kirk added another home run, this time a two-run shot to center in the fifth inning.
Amir Wright broke up the no-hit bid as well as the shutout with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 4-1. Zach Cole added a run in the bottom of the seventh as he scored on an error by the shortstop.
Trennor O'Donnell got the loss with four innings pitched. He struck out three and surrendered three earned runs on five hits. Ryan Brown threw three innings in relief with two strikeouts and one earned run on two hits.
Adam Falinski threw a complete game with five strikeouts. He gave up two runs, one earned, on just three hits.
Game Two – Ball State 11, Eastern Michigan 8
In the top of the second, the Eagles had runners on second and third with just one out. Cole tracked down a ball hit towards the left field line and made the catch. The runner from third tried to tag up and score, but Cole came up with a strong throw home to get the runner out to keep the game scoreless.
Justin Conant led off the bottom of the third with a four-pitch walk. Trenton Quartermaine notched a two-out double down the right field line to score Conant from first. BSU held a 1-0 lead after three innings.
The Eagles tied the game in the top of the fifth on a sac fly to center field. EMU took the lead on an RBI double to left field.
Matthew Rivera tied the game with an RBI single to center and scored Nick Powell in the bottom of the sixth.
The seventh inning turned out to be one of the wildest innings baseball fans have seen in a long time. Eastern Michigan started the top of the seventh with a five-run inning to take a 7-2 lead.
The Cardinals were unfazed and resilient in the home half of the inning. BSU scored its first run of the inning on a wild pitch. Quartermaine pulled Ball State within two, with a double that scored two runs. Powell followed with a single to center and advanced to third after the center fielder made a fielding error, which scored Quartermaine from second. Ryan Peltier tied the game with a single through the left side. The Cardinals took an 8-7 lead after Peltier scored on an error by the pitcher. Conant gave BSU an 11-7 lead with a three-run homer to left center.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan combined for a 14-run seventh inning.
In the top of the ninth, Gabe Denton hit a solo home run for EMU to make the score 11-8. BSU held on to win game two, 11-8.
Casey Bargo picked up his first win of the season in 1 2/3 innings of relief. He surrendered one earned run on three hits. Sam Klein recorded his fifth save of the season as he went 1/3 of an inning in relief.
Zach Gillig got the loss in 1/3 of inning as he gave up five runs, two earned, on four hits to go along with one strikeout.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan threw a combined 15 pitchers.
The Cardinals return to the friendly confines of the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex on Friday, March 18. Game one of the four-game series between Ball State and Bowling Green is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start time.
From the Coach – Head Coach Rich Maloney
"Our guys battled all weekend to win the series. A great comeback in game four was the separator, so many guys contributed. Justin Conant got the big hit with a three-run homer in the seventh. Sam Klein was outstanding this weekend getting three saves."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bargo, Casey (1-0)
L: GILLIG, Zach (0-1)
S: Klein, Sam (5)
Batting:
2B: KIRK, Matt 2 ; DENTON, Gabe 1 ; WARKENTIN, Daniel 1
3B: HOPKINS, Taylor 1 ; DENTON, Gabe 1
HR: DENTON, Gabe 1
RBI: HOPKINS, Taylor 3 ; KIRK, Matt 1 ; EASTER, Shane 1 ; DENTON, Gabe 2 ; HUEBBE, Brady 1
SH: DOLNEY, Aaron 1
SF: HOPKINS, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOPKINS, Taylor 1 ; KIRK, Matt 1 ; DENTON, Gabe 2 ; GORA, Eli 1 ; RUBNER, Coltrane 1 ; WARKENTIN, Daniel 2
SB: HUEBBE, Brady 1
HBP: KIRK, Matt 1
Batting:
2B: Quartermaine, Trenton 2 ; Powell, Nick 1
3B: Cole, Zach 1
HR: Conant, Justin 1
RBI: Quartermaine, Trenton 3 ; Powell, Nick 1 ; Rivera, Matthew 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 1 ; Conant, Justin 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Wright, Amir 1 ; Quartermaine, Trenton 1 ; Powell, Nick 2 ; Peltier, Ryan 1 ; Cole, Zach 1 ; Christianson, Adam 1 ; Conant, Justin 3 ; Lane, Zach 1
SB: Peltier, Ryan 1
CS: Conant, Justin 1
HBP: Wright, Amir 1 ; Peltier, Ryan 1 ; Lane, Zach 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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RBI
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5
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1
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RBI
3
AB
5
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2
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2
RBI
1
AB
5
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0
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2
RBI
1
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