Ball State University
2-3
Coastal Carolina
4-2
Cardinals Drop Doubleheader Games to Cincy and Coastal
February 24, 2024 | Baseball
In Saturday's opener, Hunter Dobbins had three hits and a home run, and Michael Hallquist added two hits and a homer, but it wasn't enough to stave off Cincinnati's come-from-behind win at Springs Brooks Stadium.
The Cardinals struck first with a solo homer from third baseman Hallquist in the top of the second inning. Dobbins' homer led off a two-run fourth inning for Ball State and Dobbins did more damage in the fifth with an RBI double that plated Houston King for a 4-1 advantage.
The Bearcats clawed back however with a three-run bottom-of-the-fifth, and after the Cardinals plated a run in the sixth on Hallquist's groundout, Cincinnati answered with a pair of go-ahead runs in the seventh. Dobbins walked to put runners at first and second in the top of the ninth inning, but Michael Gonzalez' fly out ended the game.
Dobbins and Hallquist each had a pair of RBI for Ball State, but the Cardinals' nine hits were countered by timely hitting by the Bearcats who also took advantage of eight walks. Ball State's only free pass was Dobbins' trip to first in the ninth.
Ball State bats were quiet against the Chanticleers, however, managing just three hits. The Cardinals allowed a run in the first, and tied the score in the second inning when Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch. But while Coastal Carolina mustered eight runs in the third and added three more in the fourth, Ball State's only other run came on a solo home run by Dylan Grego in the fifth inning. The game was called final after seven innings.
Ball State (3-3) battles Illinois at 9 a.m., Sunday morning before returning to Muncie.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
L: Beeker, Merritt (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Gonzalez, Matthew 1
HR: Grego, Dylan 1
RBI: Grego, Dylan 1
SH: Grego, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gonzalez, Matthew 1 ; Grego, Dylan 1
Batting:
2B: Antonacci, Sam 1 ; Brown, Graham 2 ; Barrango, Ty 1
3B: Books, Jake 1
HR: Bodine, Caden 1 ; Beach, Zack 1
RBI: Bodine, Caden 3 ; Bender, Derek 1 ; Beach, Zack 2 ; Brown, Graham 1 ; Books, Jake 2 ; Barrango, Ty 2 ; Sebuck, Cameron 1
SH: Barthol, Blake 1
SF: Barrango, Ty 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Antonacci, Sam 2 ; Bodine, Caden 1 ; Barthol, Blake 1 ; Bender, Derek 2 ; Beach, Zack 1 ; Brown, Graham 2 ; Books, Jake 1 ; Barrango, Ty 1 ; Sebuck, Cameron 1
SB: Barrango, Ty 1
CS: Alexander, Sebastian 1
HBP: Antonacci, Sam 1 ; Barthol, Blake 1
PO: Mitchell, Walker 1
