Tuesday, April 16
Oxford, OH
3 p.m.
Ball State University
20-22, 7-9
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8
Miami (Game 1)
33-6, 15-0
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Ball State
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Miami
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Photo by: Nick Lawler/Ball State Athletics
Softball Battles Miami Until the Final Out in Doubleheader Setback
April 16, 2024 | Softball
OXFORD, Ohio - - Despite redshirt junior catcher McKayla Timmons becoming just the second player in program history to smash 20-or-more home runs in a season Tuesday afternoon, the Ball State softball team dropped both ends of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader to No. 24 ranked Miami.
Battling the nation's top home run hitting squad in the RedHawks (34-6; 16-0 MAC), it was Timmons which struck first with her solo blast two batters into the opening game to give the Cardinals (20-23; 7-10 MAC) an early lead.
Unfortunately, Miami would counter with four runs in the bottom of the inning, before adding solo home runs over each of the next three to pull ahead 7-1. The teams traded runs in the fifth, before Timmons' second blast of the day, and 20th of the season, capped the scoring in the 8-3 setback.
Ball State's single season record for home runs is 23 set by Jennifer Gilbert in her junior campaign in 2013.
In the nightcap, senior pitcher Francys King limited Miami to its fewest runs and fewest hits in league play this season. Unfortunately, BSU came up one key hit short, stranding the bases loaded in the top of the seventh in a 4-2 setback.
King would limit Miami to just five hits and four runs in the game, while striking out four batters.
Overall, Ball State's pitching held the RedHawks to just 12 hits and five home runs over the two games. Miami, which has now won 21 straight outings, leads the nation with 118 home runs this season, with BSU holding them just under their average of 2.98 home runs per game.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 3 - Miami 8
T1 | Timmons blasts the first home run of the day with a solo shot to left (1-0)
B1 | Miami takes the lead on a bases loaded, two-run single to left field from Bartholomew (1-2)
B1 | Chloe Parks drives one in with a single, while an error on the throw to the plate allows another run to score (1-4)
B2 | Allie Cummins tallies Miami's first home run of the game to center field (1-5)
B3 | Kate Kobayashi homers to center field (1-6)
B4 | Cummins makes it three straight innings with a solo home run for the RedHawks (1-7)
T5 | Senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman scores on an RBI single to right center from sophomore center fielder Ashlee Lovett (2-7)
B5 | An error allows Holly Blaska to score from third (2-8)
B6 | Timmons caps the scoring with her second home run of the game and 20th of the season (3-8)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 2 - Miami 4
B1 | A two-run blast from Blaska gives Miami an early lead (2-0)
T2 | With runners at first and third, redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland scores as freshman second Maia Pietrzak is caught stealing (2-1)
B6 | Cummins picks up her second home run of the day to center field (3-1)
B6 | Blaska smashes an RBI single up the middle (4-1)
T7 | Senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews draws a bases loaded walk (4-2)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team opens its final homestand of the 2024 season Saturday, when it hosts Akron for a 1 p.m. doubleheader to open Alumni Weekend at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
Battling the nation's top home run hitting squad in the RedHawks (34-6; 16-0 MAC), it was Timmons which struck first with her solo blast two batters into the opening game to give the Cardinals (20-23; 7-10 MAC) an early lead.
Unfortunately, Miami would counter with four runs in the bottom of the inning, before adding solo home runs over each of the next three to pull ahead 7-1. The teams traded runs in the fifth, before Timmons' second blast of the day, and 20th of the season, capped the scoring in the 8-3 setback.
Ball State's single season record for home runs is 23 set by Jennifer Gilbert in her junior campaign in 2013.
In the nightcap, senior pitcher Francys King limited Miami to its fewest runs and fewest hits in league play this season. Unfortunately, BSU came up one key hit short, stranding the bases loaded in the top of the seventh in a 4-2 setback.
King would limit Miami to just five hits and four runs in the game, while striking out four batters.
Overall, Ball State's pitching held the RedHawks to just 12 hits and five home runs over the two games. Miami, which has now won 21 straight outings, leads the nation with 118 home runs this season, with BSU holding them just under their average of 2.98 home runs per game.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 3 - Miami 8
T1 | Timmons blasts the first home run of the day with a solo shot to left (1-0)
B1 | Miami takes the lead on a bases loaded, two-run single to left field from Bartholomew (1-2)
B1 | Chloe Parks drives one in with a single, while an error on the throw to the plate allows another run to score (1-4)
B2 | Allie Cummins tallies Miami's first home run of the game to center field (1-5)
B3 | Kate Kobayashi homers to center field (1-6)
B4 | Cummins makes it three straight innings with a solo home run for the RedHawks (1-7)
T5 | Senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman scores on an RBI single to right center from sophomore center fielder Ashlee Lovett (2-7)
B5 | An error allows Holly Blaska to score from third (2-8)
B6 | Timmons caps the scoring with her second home run of the game and 20th of the season (3-8)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 2 - Miami 4
B1 | A two-run blast from Blaska gives Miami an early lead (2-0)
T2 | With runners at first and third, redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland scores as freshman second Maia Pietrzak is caught stealing (2-1)
B6 | Cummins picks up her second home run of the day to center field (3-1)
B6 | Blaska smashes an RBI single up the middle (4-1)
T7 | Senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews draws a bases loaded walk (4-2)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team opens its final homestand of the 2024 season Saturday, when it hosts Akron for a 1 p.m. doubleheader to open Alumni Weekend at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: REEVES, Madilyn (15-2)
L: Murphy, Bridie (7-9)
Batting:
HR: Timmons, McKayla 2
RBI: Lovett, Ashlee 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Timmons, McKayla 2 ; Dukeman, Hannah 1
HBP: Timmons, McKayla 1
Batting:
2B: BLASKA, Holly 1
HR: CUMMINS, Allie 2 ; KOBAYASHI, Kate 1
RBI: CUMMINS, Allie 2 ; KOBAYASHI, Kate 1 ; BARTHOLOMEW, R. 2 ; PARKS, Chloe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CUMMINS, Allie 2 ; SPAID, Karli 1 ; BLASKA, Holly 2 ; KOBAYASHI, Kate 2 ; BARTHOLOMEW, R. 1
HBP: KOBAYASHI, Kate 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUT
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