Friday, February 16
Chattanooga, TN
10 a.m.
Ball State University
2-4
6
vs
5
Jacksonville State
2-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ball State
2
3
0
0
1
0
0
6
8
1
Jacksonville State
0
0
1
0
1
2
1
5
11
2
Softball Splits on Opening Day of Chattanooga Challenge
February 16, 2024 | Softball
CHATTANOOGA - - The Ball State softball team opened play in the Chattanooga Challenge with a Friday split, topping Jacksonville State, 6-5, before falling to host Chattanooga, 11-7, at Frost Stadium.
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The Cardinals (2-5) jumped out to an early lead in the opener versus the Gamecocks (2-4), starting with an RBI single from redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman in the top of the first.
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Ball State added another run in the top of the inning, while scoring three in the second to pull ahead 5-0 after two. After Jax State scored a run in the top of the third, an RBI single from graduate Samantha-Jo Mata in the fifth helped BSU regain the five-run edge.
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It proved to be BSU's biggest offensive play of the game as the Gamecocks scored four unanswered runs, with a two-out RBI double in the seventh cutting the BSU lead to one. The runner would advance to third before sophomore pitcher Bridie Murphy was able to strikeout the final batter of the game to earn her first save of the season.
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The nightcap saw the Mocs (2-4) jump out to a 5-2 lead heading into the top of the sixth. However, a two-out, three-run home run from graduate second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz followed by a two-run blast from Hoffman gave the Cardinals a 7-5 edge.
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Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived as the tournament hosts countered with six in the bottom of the inning to secure the 11-7 win.
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HIGHLIGHTS:
- With three more RBI on the day, Hoffman leads the squad with eight on the season. Six of her RBI have come via the long ball, including a grand slam versus Fordham (Feb. 11) and today's two-run shot versus Chattanooga. Of her five career hits, four have driven in at least one RBI.
- Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn has registered at least one hit in all seven games so far this season, including a two-run double versus Jacksonville State and a pair of singles against Chattanooga. She currently leads the squad with eight runs scored this season.
- Murphy's save in Friday's opener was the third of her Ball State career. Her three saves currently tie as the ninth-most in program history. She threw the final 1.1 innings in the contest, allowing three hits and one run, while striking out the game's final batter.
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SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 6 - Jacksonville State 5)
T1 | An RBI single to center from Hoffman drives home Armendariz for the first run of the day (1-0)
T1 | Mata picks up her first RBI of the day with a sac fly to left field, bringing in redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons (2-0)
T2 | A two-run double from Wynn doubles Ball State's lead (4-0)
T2 | Armendariz brings home Wynn with the team's second sac fly in as many innings (5-0)
B3 | Morgan Nowakowski brings home JSU's first run of the game with an infield single (5-1)
T5 | After redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland blasts a two-out double to left center, moves to third on a wild pitch, and scores on a RBI single up the middle from Mata (6-1)
B5 | Jax State's second run of the game comes on a sac fly from Lindsey Richardson (6-2)
B6 | An RBI triple from Emma Jones brings the Gamecocks withing three (6-3)
B6 | An single to third by Kenzie Nicholson brings home another run (6-4)
B7 | A two-out RBI double from Hannah Buffington completes the scoring (6-5) Â
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SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 7 - Chattanooga 11)
B3 | Kendall Forsythe opens the scoring with an RBI single to center field (1-0)
T4 | The Cardinals counter with an RBI single by senior right fielder Hannah Dukeman which brings home sophomore pinch runner Ashlee Lovett (1-1)
B4 | An RBI single from Kailey Snell helps UTC reclaim the lead (2-1)
B4 | Addy Keylon adds an RBI single to left, extending the edge (3-1)
B4 | A third RBI single, this time from Camryn Cernuto, extends the lead to three (4-1)
T5 | Timmons follows a double from Armendariz with an RBI single up the middle (4-2)
B5 | Chattanooga counters with Snell's second RBI single in as many innings (5-2)
T6 | Armendariz takes advantage of singles by senior right fielder Kaitlyn Mathews and Wynn with a two-out, three-run blast to tie the score (5-5)
T6 | After a walk to Timmons, Hoffman gives BSU its first lead of the game with a two-run bomb to right (5-7)
B6 | A leadoff walk and an error lead to a game-tying two-run double from Zoe Wright (7-7)
B6 | Olivia Lipari helps the Mocs reclaim the lead with a three-run blast (10-7)
B6 | A bases loaded single by Cernuto caps the scoring (11-7)
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UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team will battle both teams again Saturday at Frost Stadium with a scheduled 12:30 p.m. first pitch versus Jacksonville State and a 3 p.m. start against Chattanooga.
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The Cardinals (2-5) jumped out to an early lead in the opener versus the Gamecocks (2-4), starting with an RBI single from redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman in the top of the first.
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Ball State added another run in the top of the inning, while scoring three in the second to pull ahead 5-0 after two. After Jax State scored a run in the top of the third, an RBI single from graduate Samantha-Jo Mata in the fifth helped BSU regain the five-run edge.
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It proved to be BSU's biggest offensive play of the game as the Gamecocks scored four unanswered runs, with a two-out RBI double in the seventh cutting the BSU lead to one. The runner would advance to third before sophomore pitcher Bridie Murphy was able to strikeout the final batter of the game to earn her first save of the season.
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The nightcap saw the Mocs (2-4) jump out to a 5-2 lead heading into the top of the sixth. However, a two-out, three-run home run from graduate second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz followed by a two-run blast from Hoffman gave the Cardinals a 7-5 edge.
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Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived as the tournament hosts countered with six in the bottom of the inning to secure the 11-7 win.
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HIGHLIGHTS:
- With three more RBI on the day, Hoffman leads the squad with eight on the season. Six of her RBI have come via the long ball, including a grand slam versus Fordham (Feb. 11) and today's two-run shot versus Chattanooga. Of her five career hits, four have driven in at least one RBI.
- Graduate third baseman Haley Wynn has registered at least one hit in all seven games so far this season, including a two-run double versus Jacksonville State and a pair of singles against Chattanooga. She currently leads the squad with eight runs scored this season.
- Murphy's save in Friday's opener was the third of her Ball State career. Her three saves currently tie as the ninth-most in program history. She threw the final 1.1 innings in the contest, allowing three hits and one run, while striking out the game's final batter.
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SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 6 - Jacksonville State 5)
T1 | An RBI single to center from Hoffman drives home Armendariz for the first run of the day (1-0)
T1 | Mata picks up her first RBI of the day with a sac fly to left field, bringing in redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons (2-0)
T2 | A two-run double from Wynn doubles Ball State's lead (4-0)
T2 | Armendariz brings home Wynn with the team's second sac fly in as many innings (5-0)
B3 | Morgan Nowakowski brings home JSU's first run of the game with an infield single (5-1)
T5 | After redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland blasts a two-out double to left center, moves to third on a wild pitch, and scores on a RBI single up the middle from Mata (6-1)
B5 | Jax State's second run of the game comes on a sac fly from Lindsey Richardson (6-2)
B6 | An RBI triple from Emma Jones brings the Gamecocks withing three (6-3)
B6 | An single to third by Kenzie Nicholson brings home another run (6-4)
B7 | A two-out RBI double from Hannah Buffington completes the scoring (6-5) Â
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SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 7 - Chattanooga 11)
B3 | Kendall Forsythe opens the scoring with an RBI single to center field (1-0)
T4 | The Cardinals counter with an RBI single by senior right fielder Hannah Dukeman which brings home sophomore pinch runner Ashlee Lovett (1-1)
B4 | An RBI single from Kailey Snell helps UTC reclaim the lead (2-1)
B4 | Addy Keylon adds an RBI single to left, extending the edge (3-1)
B4 | A third RBI single, this time from Camryn Cernuto, extends the lead to three (4-1)
T5 | Timmons follows a double from Armendariz with an RBI single up the middle (4-2)
B5 | Chattanooga counters with Snell's second RBI single in as many innings (5-2)
T6 | Armendariz takes advantage of singles by senior right fielder Kaitlyn Mathews and Wynn with a two-out, three-run blast to tie the score (5-5)
T6 | After a walk to Timmons, Hoffman gives BSU its first lead of the game with a two-run bomb to right (5-7)
B6 | A leadoff walk and an error lead to a game-tying two-run double from Zoe Wright (7-7)
B6 | Olivia Lipari helps the Mocs reclaim the lead with a three-run blast (10-7)
B6 | A bases loaded single by Cernuto caps the scoring (11-7)
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UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team will battle both teams again Saturday at Frost Stadium with a scheduled 12:30 p.m. first pitch versus Jacksonville State and a 3 p.m. start against Chattanooga.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: King, Francys (2-1)
L: Kat Carter (0-3)
S: Murphy, Bridie (1)
Batting:
2B: Wynn, Haley 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Ross, Remington 1
RBI: Wynn, Haley 2 ; Armendariz, Jazmyne 1 ; Hoffman, Jessica 1 ; Mata, Samantha-Jo 2
SF: Armendariz, Jazmyne 1 ; Mata, Samantha-Jo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wynn, Haley 1 ; Armendariz, Jazmyne 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Dukeman, Hannah 1 ; Ross, Remington 1
SB: Wynn, Haley 1
HBP: Mulholland, McKenna 1
Batting:
2B: Emma Jones 1 ; Hannah Buffington 1
3B: Emma Jones 1
RBI: Emma Jones 1 ; Kenzie Nicholson 1 ; Morgan Nowakowski 1 ; Lindsey Richardson 1 ; Hannah Buffington 1
SF: Lindsey Richardson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Emma Jones 3 ; Emma Elrod 1 ; Makalyn Kyser 1
HBP: Amber Reed 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
ss/2b
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballRHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballUT
/ SoftballINF
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