Softball Swept By Miami In Wednesday Doubleheader

Wednesday, May 4

Oxford, Ohio

1 p.m.

Ball State University

20-28, 13-11

Miami

33-13-1, 21-3

Ball State

Miami

May 04, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1: Ball State 4 - Miami 6 Game 2: Ball State 1 - Miami 6

OXFORD, Ohio - - In the battle of the Mid-American Conference's top two offenses, the Ball State softball team fell a few runs short Wednesday afternoon, losing both ends of a doubleheader to Miami at the Miami Softball Complex.

The Cardinals (20-29; 13-12 MAC) got off to a strong start, scoring three of the day's first four runs in the opening contest. Unfortunately, the RedHawks (34-13-1; 22-3 MAC) scored five of the final six to win the opener 6-4.

The top five in the order did all the damage for Ball State in the opener, starting with a leadoff home run by sophomore first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata which gave BSU a 1-0 edge in the top of the second.

After Miami evened the score with a run of its own in the bottom of the second, the Cardinals received three straight two-out hits in the top of the third to plate two more runs. Junior second baseman Haley Wynn started the rally with a single to center, followed by a single to left by senior shortstop Amaia Daniel.

Freshman third baseman Emma Richards then continued her hot play, extending her streak of reaching base safely to nine games with a two-run double to left, making the score 3-1.

Miami cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the fourth, only to see a fifth-inning RBI groundout from Daniel push the score to 4-2. Senior left fielder Faith Hensley scored on the play after singling, stealing second, and moving to third on Wynn's second single of the game.

The two-run lead would not last, however, as Miami scored four in the bottom of the inning to win the game.

Despite suffering the pitching loss, freshman Angelina Russo limited the RedHawks to six hits while striking out seven batters. Only four of the six runs she surrendered were earned.

Ball State jumped out to another early lead in Wednesday's nightcap, turning a leadoff walk and stolen base by Hensley into a 1-0 advantage in the first. However, Miami scored five in the bottom of the second and went on to win the game 6-1.

The offensive star of the second game for Ball State was sophomore center fielder Hannah Dukeman who went a perfect 3-for-3. It was the first three-hit game of Dukeman's career and raised her season average to .261.

With the doubleheader sweep, the RedHawks clinched the 2022 MAC Regular Season Championship and hosting rights to next week's MAC Softball Championship.

The Cardinals are still battling for a spot in the event, ending the day as the league's fifth-place team. The top four teams qualify for the MAC Softball Championship and Ball State cannot catch Miami (22-3) or current No. 2 seed Ohio (16-8) based on winning percentage.

The Cardinals are 2.5 games behind Bowling Green (15-9) and trail Central Michigan by 2 games (15-10), with both squads owning the tiebreaker over BSU.

Ball State and Miami will close their three-game series Thursday with another 1 p.m. first pitch at the Miami Softball Complex.