Ball State University
15-12, 3-7
Ohio
8-14, 4-6
Cardinals Rally Back from Late Four-Run Deficit to Take Game One vs Bobcats
March 28, 2024 | Baseball
The Cardinals (15-12, 3-7 MAC) crossed home plate five times in the eighth frame to complete the comeback against the Bobcats (8-14, 4-6 MAC) who had scored two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings to take the late advantage.
Decker Scheffler got the big inning started for Ball State with a single. Hunter Dobbins and Clay Jacobs would later draw consecutive walks before Casey Turturici plated a run on a groundout. From there, Corey Miley, Houston King and Nick Gregory hit consecutive two-out RBI knocks to tie the game. Michael Hallquist got hit by a pitch and Scheffler walked to score King for the go-ahead run.
Jacobs hit a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning and Hallquist poked a solo shot out down the right field line in the sixth to account for Ball State's offense prior to the game-winning rally. Hallquist's blast tied the score at 2-2 after the visiting Bobcats put up two runs in the fourth inning.
King went 3-for-4 while Gregory, Hallquist and Jacobs notched a pair of hits each. Seven Cardinals had an RBI, and six scored at least one run.
Brady Owens (1-1) got the final two outs of the top of the eighth to get credit for the win, while Ohio's Zach Weber (3-3) suffered the loss after allowing five runs in an inning of work. Will Jacobson struck out one in a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the year.
"Our boys stayed the course and grinded out a much-needed comeback win," head coach Rich Maloney said. "We got contributions from so many guys. This truly was a team win."
The Cardinals and Bobcats are set to play again at 3 p.m. on Friday in the middle game of the series.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Owens, Brady (1-1)
L: Z Weber (3-3)
S: Jacobson, Will (1)
Batting:
2B: JR Nelson 2 ; G Antle 1 ; A Finney 1
RBI: G Antle 1 ; A Finney 2 ; B Smith 1 ; AJ Rausch 1
Base Running:
RUNS: P Mancino 1 ; JR Nelson 2 ; G Antle 2 ; A Finney 1
SB: P Mancino 1 ; JR Nelson 1 ; AJ Rausch 1
PO: A Finney 1
Batting:
2B: Gregory, Nick 1
HR: Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
RBI: Gregory, Nick 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1 ; Turturici, Casey 1 ; Miley, Corey 1 ; King, Houston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Dobbins, Hunter 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 2 ; Miley, Corey 1 ; King, Houston 1
HBP: Gregory, Nick 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1
