Saturday, April 6
Buffalo, NY
1 p.m.
Ball State University
15-21, 2-8
6
at
7
Buffalo (Game 1)
12-18, 4-5
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3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ball State
1
0
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0
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6
11
3
Buffalo
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X
7
8
3
Mathews’ Grand Slam, King’s Pitching Lead To Saturday Split at Buffalo
April 06, 2024 | Softball
BUFFALO, New York - - With one swing of the bat, senior left fielder Kaitlyn Mathews changed the trajectory of the weekend, if not the season, for the Ball State softball team Saturday afternoon at Buffalo's Nan Harvey Field.
With two outs, bases loaded and a 3-2 count in the top of the eighth, Mathews blasted her first career grand slam to give the Cardinals (16-22; 3-8 Mid-American Conference) a thrilling 13-9 (8) come-from-behind win over the Bulls (12-19; 4-6 MAC) in the nightcap of Saturday's twinbill.
It came after a gut-wrenching loss in the day's first game, which saw the Cardinals' first comeback bid fall short with the tying run stranded at second in a 7-6 loss. The setback extended BSU's losing streak to eight games at the time.
It looked like the second game was going to end in similar fashion, as Ball State rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth, capped by a three-run double for redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman that gave the guests an 8-6 edge.
However, the Bulls responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the score, and a solo shot in the sixth to reclaim the lead at 9-8.
Looking to avoid the Saturday sweep, freshman second baseman Maia Pietrzak drew a one-out walk in the seventh and moved to second on a single from Mathews. After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, sophomore right fielder Ashlee Lovett came up with a clutch hit of her own, slicing an RBI single through the right side to force extra innings.
After senior pitcher Francys King retired the Buffalo side in order in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth thanks to a one-out double by redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland, a walk to Hoffman and a two-out walk to Pietrzak.
Cue Mathews who blasted her first home run of the season, and the fifth of her career, to help give Ball State the win.
King, who entered the game after Buffalo took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, went on to retire the side in order for the third straight inning to pick up her team-leading ninth win of the season. She retired all nine batters she faced in the game, including a pair of strikeouts.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 6 - Buffalo 7
T1 | Timmons opens the scoring with her 16th home run of the season, blasting the ball over the fence in right field (1-0)
B1 | An error on a two-out grounder to short allows a pair of Bulls to score (1-2)
T3 | Timmons ties the score with an RBI single through the left side, driving home sophomore Ashlee Lovett who tripled to open the inning (2-2)
T3 | After Timmons stole second, she scored on an RBI single through the right side from Mulholland (3-2)
B4 | Regan Terwilliger evens the score again with an RBI double (3-3)
B4 | Terwilliger eventually scores on a passed ball (3-4)
B4 | Tianna Williams extends the UB lead to two with an RBI single up the middle (3-5)
T6 | A double from senior center fielder Remington Ross drives in graduate first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata to bring BSU back within one (4-5)
B6 | Madison Frenimen double to center to bring home a run (4-6)
B6 | Williams picks up her second RBI with a single to left field (4-7)
T7 | An error on a fielder's choice allows Mulholland to score (5-7)
T7 | Pinch hitter Pietrzak doubled to right center, bringing home junior right fielder Maddie Weaver for the game's final run (6-7)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 13 - Toledo 9
T1 | As the lead runner on a double steal, Timmons swipes second and scores on an error on the play (1-0)
T1 | Mulholland drive home graduate third baseman Haley Wynn with a single to center field (2-0)
B1 | Fernimen scores UBs first run of the game on an error on a grounder to third (2-1)
B1 | Mia Mitchel blasts a two-run shot over the fence in left center field (2-3)
B2 | A bases loaded RBI groundout by Alexis Lucyshyn extends the lead to two (2-4)
B2 | Mitchel picks up her third RBI of the game with a single to right (2-5)
T4 | Mulholland scores from third on an error on a steal by senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman (3-5)
T4 | Pietrzak makes it a one-run game with an RBI single to second, plating Dukeman from second on a hit-and-run (4-5)
B4 | Lucyshyn picks up her second RBI of the game with a double to left field (4-6)
T5 | After opening the inning with a single, Lovett comes around to score on an RBI single to left from Wynn (5-6)
T5 | A bases loaded double gives Hoffman three RBI and pushes Ball State head by two (8-6)
B5 | A two-run home run from Lyla Ambrose ties the score for Buffalo (8-8)
B6 | Fernimen opens the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to left field (8-9)
T7 | Lovett smashes an RBI single through the left side to plate Pietrzak from third (9-9)
T8 | Mathews played home run hero with her first career grand slam, a two-out blast on a full count, to give Ball State the win (13-9)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes its three-game series at Buffalo Sunday with a scheduled Noon first pitch back at Nan Harvey Field.
With two outs, bases loaded and a 3-2 count in the top of the eighth, Mathews blasted her first career grand slam to give the Cardinals (16-22; 3-8 Mid-American Conference) a thrilling 13-9 (8) come-from-behind win over the Bulls (12-19; 4-6 MAC) in the nightcap of Saturday's twinbill.
It came after a gut-wrenching loss in the day's first game, which saw the Cardinals' first comeback bid fall short with the tying run stranded at second in a 7-6 loss. The setback extended BSU's losing streak to eight games at the time.
It looked like the second game was going to end in similar fashion, as Ball State rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth, capped by a three-run double for redshirt sophomore designated player Jessica Hoffman that gave the guests an 8-6 edge.
However, the Bulls responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the score, and a solo shot in the sixth to reclaim the lead at 9-8.
Looking to avoid the Saturday sweep, freshman second baseman Maia Pietrzak drew a one-out walk in the seventh and moved to second on a single from Mathews. After a wild pitch moved both runners up a base, sophomore right fielder Ashlee Lovett came up with a clutch hit of her own, slicing an RBI single through the right side to force extra innings.
After senior pitcher Francys King retired the Buffalo side in order in the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth thanks to a one-out double by redshirt sophomore shortstop McKenna Mulholland, a walk to Hoffman and a two-out walk to Pietrzak.
Cue Mathews who blasted her first home run of the season, and the fifth of her career, to help give Ball State the win.
King, who entered the game after Buffalo took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, went on to retire the side in order for the third straight inning to pick up her team-leading ninth win of the season. She retired all nine batters she faced in the game, including a pair of strikeouts.
GAME 1 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 6 - Buffalo 7
T1 | Timmons opens the scoring with her 16th home run of the season, blasting the ball over the fence in right field (1-0)
B1 | An error on a two-out grounder to short allows a pair of Bulls to score (1-2)
T3 | Timmons ties the score with an RBI single through the left side, driving home sophomore Ashlee Lovett who tripled to open the inning (2-2)
T3 | After Timmons stole second, she scored on an RBI single through the right side from Mulholland (3-2)
B4 | Regan Terwilliger evens the score again with an RBI double (3-3)
B4 | Terwilliger eventually scores on a passed ball (3-4)
B4 | Tianna Williams extends the UB lead to two with an RBI single up the middle (3-5)
T6 | A double from senior center fielder Remington Ross drives in graduate first baseman Samantha-Jo Mata to bring BSU back within one (4-5)
B6 | Madison Frenimen double to center to bring home a run (4-6)
B6 | Williams picks up her second RBI with a single to left field (4-7)
T7 | An error on a fielder's choice allows Mulholland to score (5-7)
T7 | Pinch hitter Pietrzak doubled to right center, bringing home junior right fielder Maddie Weaver for the game's final run (6-7)
GAME 2 SCORING SUMMARY - Ball State 13 - Toledo 9
T1 | As the lead runner on a double steal, Timmons swipes second and scores on an error on the play (1-0)
T1 | Mulholland drive home graduate third baseman Haley Wynn with a single to center field (2-0)
B1 | Fernimen scores UBs first run of the game on an error on a grounder to third (2-1)
B1 | Mia Mitchel blasts a two-run shot over the fence in left center field (2-3)
B2 | A bases loaded RBI groundout by Alexis Lucyshyn extends the lead to two (2-4)
B2 | Mitchel picks up her third RBI of the game with a single to right (2-5)
T4 | Mulholland scores from third on an error on a steal by senior pinch runner Hannah Dukeman (3-5)
T4 | Pietrzak makes it a one-run game with an RBI single to second, plating Dukeman from second on a hit-and-run (4-5)
B4 | Lucyshyn picks up her second RBI of the game with a double to left field (4-6)
T5 | After opening the inning with a single, Lovett comes around to score on an RBI single to left from Wynn (5-6)
T5 | A bases loaded double gives Hoffman three RBI and pushes Ball State head by two (8-6)
B5 | A two-run home run from Lyla Ambrose ties the score for Buffalo (8-8)
B6 | Fernimen opens the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to left field (8-9)
T7 | Lovett smashes an RBI single through the left side to plate Pietrzak from third (9-9)
T8 | Mathews played home run hero with her first career grand slam, a two-out blast on a full count, to give Ball State the win (13-9)
UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes its three-game series at Buffalo Sunday with a scheduled Noon first pitch back at Nan Harvey Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lucyshyn, Alexis (8-7)
L: Murphy, Bridie (6-8)
Batting:
2B: Ross, Remington 1 ; Pietrzak, Maia 1
3B: Lovett, Ashlee 1
HR: Timmons, McKayla 1
RBI: Ross, Remington 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 2 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Pietrzak, Maia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lovett, Ashlee 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 2 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Weaver, Maddie 1 ; Mata, Samantha-Jo 1
SB: Timmons, McKayla 1
Batting:
2B: Fernimen, Madison 1 ; Terwilliger, Reagan 1
RBI: Fernimen, Madison 1 ; Williams, Tianna 2 ; Terwilliger, Reagan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fernimen, Madison 3 ; Lucyshyn, Alexis 1 ; Kelly, Sara 2 ; Terwilliger, Reagan 1
SB: Mitchell, Mia 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballRHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
INF
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