Saturday, April 8
Muncie, IN
1 p.m.
Ball State University
16-19, 6-7
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Toledo (Game 1)
13-18, 6-7
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7
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Toledo
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Ball State
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Photo by: Grace Walton - BSU Creative Services
Softball Tops Toledo 6-1 in Series Finale
April 08, 2023 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team closed its three-game series versus Toledo with a 6-1 victory Saturday afternoon at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
The Cardinals (17-19, 7-7 MAC) were led by home runs from fifth year senior shortstop Amaia Daniel and senior second baseman Haley Wynn as they rebounded from a 5-0 loss to the Rockets (12-20, 6-8 MAC) earlier in the day.
After being held to just one run over the first 16 innings of the series, Ball State's heated up early in game two courtesy of Daniel's solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third. A few batters later junior left fielder Kaitlin Mathews increased the Cardinals' lead by driving in freshman pinch runner Grace Spencer with a double to left.
Ball State broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth capped by a three-run blast from Wynn, her seventh long ball of the season. Redshirt junior first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata drove in the first run of the inning with a sac fly.
Not to be lost in the fireworks was the pitching of redshirt sophomore Emma Eubank who built on her solid outing from Friday. Eubank threw five scoreless innings and allowed just four total baserunners.
Ball State also had several strong plays on defense, including a pair of spectacular efforts by Mathews in the fourth. With runners at second and third and no outs, Mathews made a sliding catch on a ball to left field keeping the runners at bay. She followed with another solid catch in left and was able to throw the runner out attempting to score from third for an inning-ending double play.
HIGHLIGHTS
UP NEXT
The Cardinals return to action Tuesday (April 11) at 3 p.m. versus Western Michigan at Ebert Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Cardinals (17-19, 7-7 MAC) were led by home runs from fifth year senior shortstop Amaia Daniel and senior second baseman Haley Wynn as they rebounded from a 5-0 loss to the Rockets (12-20, 6-8 MAC) earlier in the day.
After being held to just one run over the first 16 innings of the series, Ball State's heated up early in game two courtesy of Daniel's solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third. A few batters later junior left fielder Kaitlin Mathews increased the Cardinals' lead by driving in freshman pinch runner Grace Spencer with a double to left.
Ball State broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth capped by a three-run blast from Wynn, her seventh long ball of the season. Redshirt junior first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata drove in the first run of the inning with a sac fly.
Not to be lost in the fireworks was the pitching of redshirt sophomore Emma Eubank who built on her solid outing from Friday. Eubank threw five scoreless innings and allowed just four total baserunners.
Ball State also had several strong plays on defense, including a pair of spectacular efforts by Mathews in the fourth. With runners at second and third and no outs, Mathews made a sliding catch on a ball to left field keeping the runners at bay. She followed with another solid catch in left and was able to throw the runner out attempting to score from third for an inning-ending double play.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Daniel added to her defensive highlight reel in game one with a diving effort in the hole to throw the runner out at first from her knees.
- Daniel also hit her third home run of the season with her solo shot in the third inning of game two.
- Eubank threw five scoreless innings for the Cardinals giving up three hits, one walk, and struck out one.
- Haley Wynn launches her seventh home run of the year in the bottom of the fifth of game two.
- T5 | Sidney Griffith doubled to right center scoring Aleah Marra for the first run for Toledo. (1-0)
- T5 | A squeeze bunt by Anna Dixon in front of home plate scores Lexi Eckman from third. (2-0)
- T5 | Riley Mohr singles through the left side to extend the Toledo lead. (4-0)
- T7 | Jenna Kroll hits a solo home run to center for the Rockets. (5-0)
- B3 | Daniel launches a solo home run to left field to give the Cardinals its first lead of the series. (1-0)
- B3 | A double to left by Mathews scores Spencer to extend the Ball State lead. (2-0)
- B5 | Sacrifice fly to left field by Mata scores junior pinch runner Remington Ross from third. (3-0)
- B5 | Wynn smashes a three-run home run to left field extending the Cardinals lead to six. (6-0)
- T7 | Griffith grounds a fielder's choice to second base scoring Marra from third to cut the Ball State lead to five. (6-1)
UP NEXT
The Cardinals return to action Tuesday (April 11) at 3 p.m. versus Western Michigan at Ebert Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HUNT, Erin (9-10)
L: King, Francys (1-7)
Batting:
2B: GRIFFITH, Sidney 1 ; DIXON, Anna 1 ; ERICKSON, Lauren 1
HR: KROLL, Jenna 1
RBI: GRIFFITH, Sidney 1 ; DIXON, Anna 1 ; KROLL, Jenna 1 ; MOHR, Riley 2
SH: MOORE, Macey 1 ; ECKMAN, Lexi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GRIFFITH, Sidney 1 ; DIXON, Anna 1 ; KROLL, Jenna 1 ; MARRA, Aleah 1 ; ECKMAN, Lexi 1
HBP: KROLL, Jenna 1
Base Running:
HBP: Daniel, Amaia 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
Uti
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ SoftballSoftball // Workouts
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