Ball State University
5-3
Southern Indiana
2-6
Scheffler Blast and Seven-Run 7th Catapult Cardinals Past Southern Indiana
February 27, 2024 | Baseball
Scheffler, 3-of-5 on the day with four RBI, sparked a decisive rally that began after USI led 4-3 through six innings.
After piecing together single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, Ball State knotted the score 4-4 in the seventh on Blake Bevis' double that scored Michael Gonzalez. Bevis later scored on a fielder's choice by Nick Gregory as the Cardinals took the lead and, one batter later, Scheffler deposited a homer to right for an 8-4 advantage.
Michael Hallquist scored on a double by Hunter Dobbins, and Gonzalez, who singled to lead off the inning, later doubled to drive in Matthew Kamins with the final run. In all, Ball State sent 12 hitters to the plate in the triumphant seventh inning, scoring seven runs on six hits and three walks.
The Screaming Eagles took an early lead with two runs in the second and third innings off Cardinals starter Keegan Johnson, who labored through 2.1 innings with four runs on four walks and three strikeouts. Lucas Letsinger (1-0) helped settle the USI bats over 4.1 scoreless innings as Ball State took the lead. Brady Owens pitched the eighth inning in relief, and Owen Quinn handled the ninth.
Said Ball State coach Rich Maloney, now in his 19th season leading the Cardinals, "Our boys played through our mistakes. We got some big hits and strong relief pitching to pull off the victory."
Ball State (5-3) battles Jacksonville University in a three-game weekend series (March 1-2-3) that opens a five-game Florida road trip over spring break. The Cardinals visit Florida A&M for another pair of games (March 5-6) before returning to Muncie to open Mid-American Conference play on March 8 vs. Eastern Michigan.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Letsinger, Lucas (1-0)
L: Smith, Gage (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Dobbins, Hunter 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 1 ; Grego, Dylan 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1
HR: Scheffler, Decker 1
RBI: Scheffler, Decker 4 ; Dobbins, Hunter 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 1 ; Grego, Dylan 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1 ; Gregory, Nick 2
SF: Gregory, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Kamins, Matthew 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 2 ; Bevis, Blake 2 ; Husovsky, Nick 1 ; Miley, Corey 1 ; Gregory, Nick 1
HBP: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 1
PO: Miller, Grant 1
Batting:
2B: Ebest, Tucker 1 ; Van Grieken, Ricardo 1
3B: Thompson-Allen, T. 1
RBI: Thompson-Allen, T. 2 ; Crowden, Lane 1
SH: Emerich, Thomas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ebest, Tucker 1 ; Boyd, Cameron 1 ; Thompson-Allen, T. 1 ; Van Grieken, Ricardo 1
SB: Thompson-Allen, T. 1
HBP: Emerich, Thomas 1 ; Kapust, Tyler 1
