Ball State University
9-5, 0
Eastern Michigan
4-9, 0
Late Rally Falls Short as Cardinals Unveil Sparkling New Videoboard in 2024 Home Opener
March 08, 2024 | Baseball
The Eagles led early, 8-1 through 4 ½ innings, but the Cardinals closed in a fury with runs in each of the last four innings while leaving the bases filled in the bottom of the ninth.
"Our boys battled back and just fell a hair short," said 19th-year Cardinals coach Rich Maloney who saw visions of his future stadium complex take one more step toward completion on this day. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole," he added, "but it's a new day tomorrow!"
As the drama unfolded in the bottom of the ninth beneath the largest and first all-digital videoboard in the MAC, Ball State trailed 10-6 before sending nine batters to the plate. Catcher Michael Gonzalez sparked the rally with a solo shot to left. Hunter Dobbins was hit by pitch, Dylan Grego walked and Blake Bevis was hit by pitch to load the bases for the first time in the dramatic rally.
The Cardinals pushed another run across on Houston King's sacrifice fly in front of the beaming videoboard, and the Cardinals pulled within 10-9 on Matthew Kamins' double down the leftfield line – leaving Bevis at third with just one out. Nick Gregory worked the count to 3-0 before being walked intentionally to load the bases again and set the stage for the top of the Ball State batting order.
But Drew Jones, no relation to EMU starter and winner Bobby Jones (2-1), earned a save after Decker Scheffler went down looking and Michael Hallquist lined a near-game-winning single that was nabbed by shortstop Cooper Vance for the game's final out.
Eastern Michigan gained its advantage on the strength of 15 base hits and fourth-inning home runs by Lucas Johnson and Logan Hugo. With the home team pulled within 8-6 through eight innings, EMU got insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run shot by Cory Taylor.
The Cardinals got 13 hits of their own but left 11 on base as they squandered opportunities to decorate the new videoboard with its first victory.
Ball State and Eastern Michigan resume their three-game series on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: JONES, Bobby (2-1)
L: Hartlaub, Jacob (1-1)
S: JONES, Drew (1)
Batting:
HR: HUGO, Logan 1 ; TAYLOR, Cory 1 ; JOHNSON, Lucas 1
RBI: HUGO, Logan 3 ; VANCE, Cooper 1 ; TAYLOR, Cory 4 ; JOHNSON, Lucas 1
SH: MILLER, Glenn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ZUCCARO, Giano 2 ; HUGO, Logan 2 ; MCRAE, Blake 1 ; VANCE, Cooper 1 ; TAYLOR, Cory 2 ; JOHNSON, Lucas 1 ; MILLER, Glenn 1
CS: HUGO, Logan 1 ; MCRAE, Blake 1 ; VANCE, Cooper 1
HBP: HUGO, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Turturici, Casey 1 ; Kamins, Matthew 1 ; Gregory, Nick 1
3B: Hallquist, Michael 1
HR: Gonzalez, Matthew 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1
RBI: Scheffler, Decker 2 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 2 ; Bevis, Blake 1 ; King, Houston 1 ; Kamins, Matthew 1
SF: King, Houston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Gonzalez, Matthew 1 ; Griffin, Korbin 1 ; Grego, Dylan 1 ; Bevis, Blake 2 ; Miller, Grant 1 ; Kamins, Matthew 1 ; Gregory, Nick 1
HBP: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Dobbins, Hunter 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1
