Saturday, February 17
Chattanooga, TN
12:30 p.m.
Ball State University
3-5
5
vs
4
Jacksonville State
2-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Jacksonville State
1
0
2
1
0
0
0
4
4
0
Ball State
0
0
0
4
0
0
1
5
6
4
Softball Earns Saturday Split in Chattanooga Challenge
February 17, 2024 | Softball
CHATTANOOGA - - The Ball State softball team rallied from four runs down to win Saturday's opener over Jacksonville State by a score of 5-4 on the second day of the Chattanooga Challenge at Frost Stadium.
Â
Unfortunately, host Chattanooga returned the favor in the nightcap, scoring a pair of seventh inning runs to force extra innings on its way to a 4-3 (8) win over the Cardinals (3-6).
Â
Trailing 4-0 to the Gamecocks (2-6) in the bottom of the fourth, Ball State's first run came off the bat of a now familiar name with redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman blasting an RBI double down the right field line. It was her team-leading ninth RBI of the season and sparked a four-run fourth to even the score.
Â
The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh when redshirt junior first baseman McKayla Timmons used a sac fly to right field to plate sophomore right fielder Haley Urban for the walk off win.
Â
In the nightcap, the Cardinals held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, the Mocs (5-4) flipped the script and tied the score with two runs in the frame before going on to score the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth.
Â
HIGHLIGHTS:
- With her RBI double in the opener, Hoffman has driven in runs on five of her six hits this season. After the day, she ranks second on the team in average (.316) and OPS (1.034).
- Sophomore pitcher Bridie Murphy was credited with the win in the opener, throwing the final 4.2 innings with surrendering a hit while allowing just one unearned run. She also struck out six batters to claim her first win of the season.
- Senior pitcher Francys King turned in a solid effort in the nightcap, limiting Chattanooga to 10 hits and three earned runs, over her 7.0 innings of work. She also struck out four batters.
- Senior center fielder Remington Ross picked up two more stolen bases in the nightcap, raising her Ball State career stolen base percentage to .980 (48-for-49). She is 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts this season and has been successful in her last 35 attempts.
-  After registering hits in the first eight games of the season, senior third baseman Haley Wynn saw her hitting snapped in the nightcap as Timmons was the only BSU player to record a hit versus the Mocs Saturday.
Â
SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 5 - Jacksonville State 4)
T1 | Lindsey Richardson brings in the first run of the game with a sac fly to left field (1-0)
T3 | Richardson picks up two more RBI with a two-run home run to left center field (3-0)
T4 | A bases loaded walk to E. Elrod gives the Gamecocks a four-run edge (4-0)
B4 | An RBI double from Hoffman drives in graduate catcher Jazmyne Armendariz for Ball State's first run of the game (4-1)
B4 | Ball State loads the bases, and a wild pitch allows Timmons to score from third (4-2)
B4 | Junior Kaitlyn Gibson singled through the left side, driving in senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman, while redshirt sophomore second baseman McKenna Mulholland scored on the throw in (4-4)
B7 | A walk-off, sac fly from Timmons brings home Urban for the game-winning run (4-5)
Â
SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 3 - Chattanooga 4 in 8 innings)
T4 | Timmons led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and after advancing to third on a Hoffman groundout, scored on a sac fly from sophomore right fielder Ashlee Lovett (1-0)
T6 | After reaching on a fielder's choice, Lovett eventually crosses the play on a squeeze bunt from senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews (2-0)
B6 | Forsythe cuts the Ball State lead in half with an RBI single to right field (2-1)
T7 | After reaching on an error and stealing second and third, Ross scored on RBI groundout from Armendariz (3-1)
B7 | After a leadoff single, Jayce Purdy eventually scores on a wild pitch (3-2)
B7 | Kaili Phillips forces extra innings with a two-out RBI double to left field (3-3)
B8 | UTC takes advantage of the placed runner with a groundout followed by an RBI single from Pinch hitter Anna Dovey (3-4)
Â
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Chattanooga Challenge Sunday with an 11 a.m. first pitch versus Western Kentucky at Warner Park Field #2.
Â
Â
Unfortunately, host Chattanooga returned the favor in the nightcap, scoring a pair of seventh inning runs to force extra innings on its way to a 4-3 (8) win over the Cardinals (3-6).
Â
Trailing 4-0 to the Gamecocks (2-6) in the bottom of the fourth, Ball State's first run came off the bat of a now familiar name with redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman blasting an RBI double down the right field line. It was her team-leading ninth RBI of the season and sparked a four-run fourth to even the score.
Â
The score remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh when redshirt junior first baseman McKayla Timmons used a sac fly to right field to plate sophomore right fielder Haley Urban for the walk off win.
Â
In the nightcap, the Cardinals held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, the Mocs (5-4) flipped the script and tied the score with two runs in the frame before going on to score the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth.
Â
HIGHLIGHTS:
- With her RBI double in the opener, Hoffman has driven in runs on five of her six hits this season. After the day, she ranks second on the team in average (.316) and OPS (1.034).
- Sophomore pitcher Bridie Murphy was credited with the win in the opener, throwing the final 4.2 innings with surrendering a hit while allowing just one unearned run. She also struck out six batters to claim her first win of the season.
- Senior pitcher Francys King turned in a solid effort in the nightcap, limiting Chattanooga to 10 hits and three earned runs, over her 7.0 innings of work. She also struck out four batters.
- Senior center fielder Remington Ross picked up two more stolen bases in the nightcap, raising her Ball State career stolen base percentage to .980 (48-for-49). She is 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts this season and has been successful in her last 35 attempts.
-  After registering hits in the first eight games of the season, senior third baseman Haley Wynn saw her hitting snapped in the nightcap as Timmons was the only BSU player to record a hit versus the Mocs Saturday.
Â
SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 5 - Jacksonville State 4)
T1 | Lindsey Richardson brings in the first run of the game with a sac fly to left field (1-0)
T3 | Richardson picks up two more RBI with a two-run home run to left center field (3-0)
T4 | A bases loaded walk to E. Elrod gives the Gamecocks a four-run edge (4-0)
B4 | An RBI double from Hoffman drives in graduate catcher Jazmyne Armendariz for Ball State's first run of the game (4-1)
B4 | Ball State loads the bases, and a wild pitch allows Timmons to score from third (4-2)
B4 | Junior Kaitlyn Gibson singled through the left side, driving in senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman, while redshirt sophomore second baseman McKenna Mulholland scored on the throw in (4-4)
B7 | A walk-off, sac fly from Timmons brings home Urban for the game-winning run (4-5)
Â
SCORING SUMMARY (Ball State 3 - Chattanooga 4 in 8 innings)
T4 | Timmons led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and after advancing to third on a Hoffman groundout, scored on a sac fly from sophomore right fielder Ashlee Lovett (1-0)
T6 | After reaching on a fielder's choice, Lovett eventually crosses the play on a squeeze bunt from senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews (2-0)
B6 | Forsythe cuts the Ball State lead in half with an RBI single to right field (2-1)
T7 | After reaching on an error and stealing second and third, Ross scored on RBI groundout from Armendariz (3-1)
B7 | After a leadoff single, Jayce Purdy eventually scores on a wild pitch (3-2)
B7 | Kaili Phillips forces extra innings with a two-out RBI double to left field (3-3)
B8 | UTC takes advantage of the placed runner with a groundout followed by an RBI single from Pinch hitter Anna Dovey (3-4)
Â
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Chattanooga Challenge Sunday with an 11 a.m. first pitch versus Western Kentucky at Warner Park Field #2.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Murphy, Bridie (1-2)
L: Mackinley Portillo (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Emma Jones 1
HR: Lindsey Richardson 1
RBI: Lindsey Richardson 3 ; Emma Elrod 1
SF: Lindsey Richardson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Emma Jones 1 ; Kenzie Nicholson 1 ; Morgan Nowakowski 1 ; Lindsey Richardson 1
SB: Emma Elrod 1 ; Hannah Buffington 1
Batting:
2B: Hoffman, Jessica 1
RBI: Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Hoffman, Jessica 1 ; Gibson, Kaitlyn 1
SH: Armendariz, Jazmyne 1
SF: Timmons, McKayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Armendariz, Jazmyne 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Dukeman, Hannah 1 ; Urban, Hayley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballRHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballBall State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses the NCAA vs. House Settlement
Tuesday, July 01
Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses NCAA vs. House Settlement & Bill Richards Thank You
Friday, June 27
Sports Link: Katie Van Der Mark (Softball)
Wednesday, May 21
Sports Link: Kaitlyn Gibson (Softball)
Wednesday, May 07