Ball State University
30-20-1, 16-11
Central Michigan
15-36, 7-20
Cards Drop Mother's Day Finale Against Chippewas
May 12, 2024 | Baseball
CMU used a grand-slam as part of an eight-run third inning that staked the Chippewas to a 10-2 lead. The Cardinals struck back with six runs over the fifth, seventh and eighth innings, but CMU tacked on five insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Ball State got a run on two more hits in the ninth.
Five different Ball State hitters had exactly two hits in the game that produced 26 runs and 32 hits overall. Blake Bevis, Decker Scheffler and Michael Hallquist all homered for the Cardinals, with Hallquist (2), Houston King (2) and Bevis (3) each recording multiple RBI. But in their way were seven Chippewas with at least two hits, including the third-inning grand-slam by Jake Brill and a pair of round-trippers by Marquis Jackson.
After a scoreless first, CMU used three hits to plate two runs in the second. Bevis' two-run bomb to left knotted the score before CMU sent 12 batters to the plate in the game-changing third inning, and added single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to lead 12-2 before Hallquist's two-run dinger in the bottom of the fifth.
It wasn't until the seventh inning that Ball State chased CMU starter Keegan Batka (3-5), who scattered seven hits and recorded eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings pitched. But in a three-run seventh, Scheffler worked a leadoff walk that was followed by doubles from Hallquist and Nick Husovsky, and a single from Houston King. Scheffler's solo shot in the eighth pulled the Cardinals within 12-8, but CMU iced the game with five clinching runs in the ninth.
Ball State resumes action on Tuesday with a non-conference bout against Indiana State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Ball Diamond at First Merchant's Ballpark Complex. The Cardinals travel to Kent State next weekend to close MAC regular season action.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Keegan Batka (3-5)
L: Letsinger, Lucas (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Marquis Jackson 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Ely Stuart 1 ; Nick Dardas 1
HR: Jake Brill 1 ; Marquis Jackson 2
RBI: Jake Brill 5 ; Marquis Jackson 4 ; Ely Stuart 3 ; Nick Dardas 1 ; Drew Stengren 2 ; Bryson Webb 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jake Brill 2 ; Marquis Jackson 3 ; Drew Loikits 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Ely Stuart 1 ; Cole Prout 2 ; Nick Dardas 3 ; Drew Stengren 2 ; Bryson Webb 2
SB: Jake Brill 1
CS: Drew Loikits 1
HBP: Drew Loikits 1 ; Ely Stuart 1
PO: Marquis Jackson 1
Batting:
2B: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; King, Houston 1 ; Husovsky, Nick 1
HR: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1
RBI: Scheffler, Decker 1 ; Hallquist, Michael 2 ; King, Houston 2 ; Miley, Corey 1 ; Bevis, Blake 3
SF: Bevis, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Scheffler, Decker 3 ; Hallquist, Michael 2 ; King, Houston 3 ; Bevis, Blake 1
