Softball Opens Three-Game Set at Buffalo Saturday

Saturday, April 23

Buffalo, N.Y.

1 p.m.

Ball State University

Buffalo

April 22, 2022 | Softball

Ball State (18-23; 11-6 MAC) at Buffalo (15-19; 6-10 MAC)
Game 42 at Buffalo	Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. Live Stats
Game 43 at Buffalo	Saturday, April 22 at 3:30 p.m. Live Stats
Game 44 at Buffalo	Sunday, April 23 at Noon Live Stats
Tickets Info	Free Admission
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MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team returns to the road this weekend for a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Buffalo which begins Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

The Cardinals (18-23; 11-6 MAC) and Bulls (15-19; 6-10 MAC) will also play a single game Sunday at Noon at Nan Harvey Field.

After sweeping a midweek MAC series versus Western Michigan, Ball State enters the weekend tied with Central Michigan for third in the conference with its 11-6 league record. The Cardinals are one game behind second-place Ohio (13-6 MAC) and four-and-a-half games behind league-leading Miami (17-3 MAC).

Ball State has 12 league games remaining, including a crucial midweek series at Miami which will be played May 3-4. The RedHawks have their league bye this weekend, which could allow the Cardinals to pull within a game-and-a-half.

Buffalo is currently seventh in the league at 6-10, which is four-and-a-half games behind Ball State.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

The Cardinals enter the Buffalo series with an 18-23 overall record, including an 11-6 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
Ball State enters Saturday's twinbill versus the Bulls on a five-game winning streak, out-scoring its opponents 33-10 during the run.
Last time out, freshman pitcher Angelina Russo threw the first recorded perfect game in program history in a 5-0 victory over Western Michigan (April 20) … She struck out eight of the first nine batters she faced in the game, finishing the contest with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Ball State enters the Buffalo series ranked second in the MAC and 102nd nationally with a .282 team batting average … Senior Faith Hensley leads the way, ranking second in the conference and 31st among all NCAA Division I players with a .427 average.
Led by Faith Hensley's 16 home runs, the 11th-most in the country so far this season, Ball State ranks 41st nationally with a 1.10 home runs-per-game average.
On the defensive front, the Cardinals enter the week tied for fifth nationally with 22 double plays turned this season. BSU's 0.54 double plays-per-game average is seventh among the 293 ranked NCAA Division I programs.

SCOUTING BUFFALO
The Bulls enter Saturday's doubleheader with a 15-19 overall record, including a 6-10 mark in MAC play … UB has lost its last seven games, with four of the seven coming via shutout … In its midweek series versus Akron, the Bulls dropped the Tuesday opener by a score of 6-5 … On Wednesday, they dropped both ends of a doubleheader by scores of 4-0 and 13-9, respectively.

Alexis Lucyshyn leads the team with a .297 batting average, including four doubles and four home runs … Olivia Kincanon leads the squad in home runs (9) and RBIs (24), while Rachel Steffan has scored a team-high 23 runs … The Bulls are batting .210 as a team this season, with just four starters above the average.

Lucyshyn also leads the squad in the circle with an 8-7 record and a 3.21 ERA over 111.1 innings of work … She has also struck out 85 batters, while holding teams to a .253 average … Julia Tarantion is next on the team with 104.1 innings of work, boasting a 4.36 ERA and a 7-11 record to go along with 65 strikeouts … As a team, the UB pitching staff has a 4.05 ERA and is holding opponents to a .290 average.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS BUFFALO:

The Cardinals hold a 23-6 lead in the all-time series versus Buffalo, including sweeping a four-game set last season in Buffalo … Prior to that, the teams had not met since the 2017 season.
The last seven games have been played at UB's Nan Harvey Field, with the Cardinals winning six of the seven.
Among BSU's returning players from a year ago, senior catcher Delanie Johnson led the squad with a .429 average in last season's series at UB … She also tied for team-high honors with five RBI and a .667 on base percentage, while tying for second with three runs scored in the series.
Junior pitcher Deborah Jones led the team with a 1.31 ERA and 10.2 innings of work at UB last season, appearing in three games and posting a 2-0 record, including a 9-0 (5) complete game shutout in the second game of the May 15 doubleheader … She held the Bulls to a .189 batting average and struck out 11 total batters.

BALL STATE NOTES:

Freshman pitcher Angelina Russo threw Ball State's first recorded perfect game in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus Western Michigan … In retiring all 21 batters she faced, Russo struck out 10 total batters, including eight of WMU's first nine … She also helped herself out on defense by registering a pair of assists, including fielding a soft grounder for out 20 of 21.
Ball State's pitchers have flirted with perfection before Angelina Russo's gem on Wednesday, falling a walk shy of perfection on four occasions, most recently in a combined no-hitter by Aeshia Miles (3.0 innings) and Alyssa Rothwell (2.0 innings) in a 15-0 (5) victory over St. Bonaventure on March 17, 2018 … BSU has also been both an error shy and a hit batter shy of perfection as well.
In addition to being the first recorded perfect game in program history, Angelina Russo's effort marked just the 17th time BSU's pitchers have surrendered no hits in a game dating back through the 1980 season:

Perfect Games (1):
April 20, 2022 - 5-0 vs. Western Michigan - Angelina Russo

No Hitters (16):
May 5, 2019 - 10-0 (5) vs. Oakland - Aeshia Miles (3.0) / Darcie Huber (2.0)
May 11, 2018 - 2-0 vs. Toledo - Carolyn Wilmes (5.0) / Aeshia Miles (2.0)
March 17, 2018* - 15-0 (5) vs. St. Bonaventure - Aeshia Miles (3.0) / Alyssa Rothwell (2.0)
March 2, 2018* - 8-0 (6) vs. Robert Morris - Aeshia Miles
April 21, 2017 - 2-1 vs. Toledo - Carolyn Wilmes
May 12, 2010^ - 7-0 vs. Buffalo - Elizabeth Milian
Feb. 26, 2010 - 10-0 (5) vs. Wright State - Elizabeth Milian
March 22, 2000 - 4-0 vs. Butler - Samantha Bushy
April 20, 1999 - 1-0 vs. Toledo - Marcy Mobley
April 29, 1997 - 8-0 (5) vs. Miami - Brandy Brennan
March 6, 1996% - 10-0 (6) vs. Western Illinois - Cheri Ball
March 20, 1992 - 3-0 vs. Notre Dame - Karin Oliver
March 6, 1991 - 5-0 vs. Stetson - Karen Oliver
March 7, 1989 - 1-0 vs. Texas-Arlington - Bernie Coffman
March 2, 1987* - 10-0 (5) vs. St. Leo - Bernie Coffman
March 2, 1987* - 24-0 (5) vs. St. Leo - Kathy Lewis
* = walk / ^ = error / % = hit batter shy of perfect game

Ball State also received a solid pitching performance from junior Deborah Jones in the opening game of Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Western Michigan, as Jones logged her sixth career complete game shutout victory … Jones currently ranks 14th in program history with her six career shutouts and is 18th all-time with 24 career victories.
With her fourth of six strikeouts in the game, Deborah Jones also became just the 15th pitcher in program history to register 200 career strikeouts … Jones enters the Buffalo series ranked 15th on BSU's all-time list with 202 strikeouts, while her 5.69 strikeouts-per-seven innings ranks seventh.
Behind the plate for both performances for Ball State on Wednesday was senior Delanie Johnson who becomes the first player in program history to catch a perfect game … Johnson tallied 16 total putouts over the two games and had an assist … On offense, Johnson added an RBI in the opener.
Senior outfielder Faith Hensley has picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Ball State offense with a .427 batting average this season … She has reached base safely in 38 of the 40 games she has played, including via a hit in 31 contests … She also leads the team and ranks second in the MAC in both RBIs (36) and runs scored (43).
A 2021 NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection last season, Faith Hensley enters the Buffalo series ranked second in program history (minimum 150 at bats) with a .396 career batting average … She is also currently second in career slugging percentage (.744), based on the strength of her 24 career home runs, 22 career doubles, and four career triples.
Faith Hensley's 24 career home runs currently tie for ninth on BSU's career charts with her 16 in 2022 tying as the fourth-most in a season in program history … The only player with more home runs in a single season in a Ball State uniform is two-time All-American and 2021 Olympic medalist Jennifer Gilbert (23 in 2013, 19 in 2014 and 18 in 2012).
Ball State's sluggers have blasted 45 total home runs so far this season, with 10 different players getting into the action … The newest addition to the Ball State Softball #BombSquad came April 16 at Toledo when sophomore Kaitlyn Mathews smashed her first career home run in the seven-run third inning of BSU's 9-5 win in the nightcap.
Faith Hensley leads the team with 16 home runs, which is second in the MAC and 11th nationally … Junior infielder Haley Wynn and sophomore infielder Samantha-Jo Mata are second on the team with six home runs each … Overall, 11 different players on the active roster have at least one career home run for the Cardinals.
Junior third baseman Haley Wynn has also had a solid season to date, entering the Buffalo series with a .311 batting average … She has reached base safely in 33 of BSU's 41 games this season, including 15 straight contests earlier in the year … Wynn has had at least one hit in 28 games, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort versus Albany (Feb. 19) for her first career four-hit game … She also leads the squad with nine doubles and is second with 31 runs scored.
Sophomore outfielder Remington Ross enters the Buffalo series ranked third in the league with 18 stolen bases … She started the season a perfect 13-for-13 before being narrowly thrown out when attempting to steal third versus Kent State (April 1) … Since then, she has went 5-for-5, pushing her to 18-for-19 on the year … She's also shown off her speed at the plate with eight bunt singles so far this year.
Overall, Ball State has stolen 55 total bases this season in 70 attempts … Last season, the Cardinals registered 62 stolen bases which was the 13th-highest single-season total in program history.
Sophomore infielder Samantha-Jo Mata stepped up in a big way last week, including starting at first base in each of the last six games … Adding the midweek contest at IUPUI (April 12), Mata leads the team with a .400 average over the last seven games … She is also tied for the team lead with seven RBIs and has a pair of home runs.
Aside from her perfect game, Angelina Russo has been BSU's go-to pitcher so far this season, entering the Buffalo series with a team-high 106.0 innings of work … She has started 18 of BSU's 41 games, while making 27 appearances … Russo also owns a 9-8 record and a 4.42 ERA against some tough competition … In fact, she earned the win at No. 18 Missouri (March 20), holding the Tigers to just seven hits and three runs (two earned) over 5.1 innings of work in the 4-3 victory.
Angelina Russo, who threw a complete game one-hitter to earn the second-game win against Kent State on April 1, also earned the complete game victory at Grand Canyon (March 12), while turning in solid pitching performances at No. 23 Arizona State (March 13), vs. Stanford (March 19), and vs. No. 14 Northwestern (March 20).
Ball State's offense is really starting to find its grove, scoring a season-high 13 runs in a 13-0 (5) victory at Northern Illinois (April 5) … BSU's previous season-best was 11 runs one game earlier in the 11-3 (5) victory over Kent State (April 2) … The Cardinals added an 11-0 (5) win over NIU in the opening game of an April 6 doubleheader at NIU, giving them three consecutive games in double figures … It was the first time since the 2019 season Ball State has scored double-digit runs in three consecutive games … That year they started the streak with an 11-3 (6) win versus Fordham (March 17) and followed with back-to-back wins over Akron by scores 14-6 (6) (March 22) and 13-1 (5) (March 23)
While the Cardinals did not get the win in the series finale at Northern Illinois, they scored eight runs in the second inning of the contest which is the most runs BSU has scored in a single inning this season … It was also the most runs Ball State has scored in a single inning since producing 10 in the fifth inning of the opening game of the May 12, 2021, doubleheader at NIU.