Saturday, February 22
Charlotte, NC
10 a.m.
Ball State University
6-1
15
vs
4
Lehigh
1-7
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Ball State
0
0
6
9
0
15
13
0
Lehigh
1
2
0
0
1
4
5
1
Photo by: Owen Main - Owen Main Photography
Softball Splits Saturday Action At Charlotte Invite
February 22, 2025 | Softball
CHARLOTTE - - The Ball State softball team split a pair of Saturday games at the Charlotte Invitational, earning a 15-4 (5) win over Lehigh before falling a run short to host Charlotte by a score of 9-8 in the nightcap.
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The Cardinals (6-2) found themselves in an early 3-0 hole to the Mountain Hawks (1-7) after two innings in Saturday's opener, before a big third inning and an even bigger fourth turned the tide. Junior first baseman Ella Whitney opened the scoring in the six-run third with an RBI single and Ball State never looked back.
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Senior right fielder Maddie Weaver added a three-run double, while junior catcher Gabbie Evans followed with a two-run home run, her second long ball of the weekend. Redshirt senior third-baseman McKayla Timmons opened the scoring in the nine-run fourth, with an RBI single up the middle.
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Sophomore righty Brinkley Kita picked up her second win of the season in the game, limiting Lehigh to five hits and four runs over her 5.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters in the game.
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The nightcap saw the Cardinals turn in a pair of four-run innings versus the 49ers (5-9), including a fifth frame which evened the score late. Unfortunately, the hosts were able to push across the winning run in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory.
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Redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban provided the power for Ball State, smashing her first career home run to open the four-run third, while capping the scoring for BSU with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth.
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GAME 1: Ball State 15 - Lehigh 4 (5)
B1 - Gracie Smith singled to left field to open the scoring in the game (1-0)
B2 - An RBI groundout from Kelly Fricker plated Lehigh's second run (2-0)
B2 - Peyton Sward gave the hosts on the scoreboard a brief three-run edge with an RBI triple (3-0)
T3 - Whitney opened the floodgates for the Cardinals with an RBI single (3-1)
T3 - Weaver cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center, giving BSU the lead for good (3-4)
T3 - Evans followed with her two-run blast to cap the six-run third (3-6)
T4 - Timmons started the nine-run fourth with an RBI single up the middle (3-7)
T4 - After moving to third on Timmons' single, sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak scored on a wild pitch (3-8)
T4 - Weaver picked up two more RBI with a bases-loaded single (3-10)
T4 - With bases loaded again, redshirt junior designated player Jessica Hoffman drove in a run with a single to left (3-11)
T4 - Urban followed with a bases-loaded walk (3-12)
T4 - Two batters later, Pietrzak drew an RBI walk (3-13)
T4 - Timmons' second hit of the inning was an RBI single through the left side (3-14)
T4 - BSU's final run of the game came on an RBI single to left from Whitney (3-15)
B5 - Lehigh's final run came on an RBI double from Holly Lovett (4-15)
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GAME 2: Ball State 8 - Charlotte 9
B2 - A two-run blast from L. Dirks gave the hosts an early lead (2-0)
T3 - Urban countered with a solo shot to open a four-run third for BSU (2-1)
T3 - A sac fly from Whitney evened the score (2-2)
T3 - Pietrzak was able to score from third on an error to give BSU its first lead in the game (2-3)
T3 - Another sac fly, this one from Evans, pushed the Ball State lead to two (2-4)
B3 - Unfortunately, a two-run double from J. Lord tied the score for Charlotte (4-4)
B3 - K. Shedrick drove in two more with a single up the middle (6-4)
B3 - Shedrick later scored on a Ball State error to cap a five-run third for the 49ers (7-4)
B4 - Lord picked up her third RBI with a double to right center (8-4)
T5 - Redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland cut the lead in half with a two-run double down the left field line (8-6)
T5 - Urban's second career home run was a two-run blast to tie the score for a third time in the game (8-8)
B6 - Lord's third hit of the game was costly, as she singled up the middle for her fourth RBI to give the hosts the win (9-8)
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UP NEXT
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Charlotte Invitational Sunday with a scheduled 10 a.m. first pitch versus Albany.
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The Cardinals (6-2) found themselves in an early 3-0 hole to the Mountain Hawks (1-7) after two innings in Saturday's opener, before a big third inning and an even bigger fourth turned the tide. Junior first baseman Ella Whitney opened the scoring in the six-run third with an RBI single and Ball State never looked back.
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Senior right fielder Maddie Weaver added a three-run double, while junior catcher Gabbie Evans followed with a two-run home run, her second long ball of the weekend. Redshirt senior third-baseman McKayla Timmons opened the scoring in the nine-run fourth, with an RBI single up the middle.
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Sophomore righty Brinkley Kita picked up her second win of the season in the game, limiting Lehigh to five hits and four runs over her 5.0 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters in the game.
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The nightcap saw the Cardinals turn in a pair of four-run innings versus the 49ers (5-9), including a fifth frame which evened the score late. Unfortunately, the hosts were able to push across the winning run in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory.
Â
Redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban provided the power for Ball State, smashing her first career home run to open the four-run third, while capping the scoring for BSU with a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth.
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GAME 1: Ball State 15 - Lehigh 4 (5)
B1 - Gracie Smith singled to left field to open the scoring in the game (1-0)
B2 - An RBI groundout from Kelly Fricker plated Lehigh's second run (2-0)
B2 - Peyton Sward gave the hosts on the scoreboard a brief three-run edge with an RBI triple (3-0)
T3 - Whitney opened the floodgates for the Cardinals with an RBI single (3-1)
T3 - Weaver cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center, giving BSU the lead for good (3-4)
T3 - Evans followed with her two-run blast to cap the six-run third (3-6)
T4 - Timmons started the nine-run fourth with an RBI single up the middle (3-7)
T4 - After moving to third on Timmons' single, sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak scored on a wild pitch (3-8)
T4 - Weaver picked up two more RBI with a bases-loaded single (3-10)
T4 - With bases loaded again, redshirt junior designated player Jessica Hoffman drove in a run with a single to left (3-11)
T4 - Urban followed with a bases-loaded walk (3-12)
T4 - Two batters later, Pietrzak drew an RBI walk (3-13)
T4 - Timmons' second hit of the inning was an RBI single through the left side (3-14)
T4 - BSU's final run of the game came on an RBI single to left from Whitney (3-15)
B5 - Lehigh's final run came on an RBI double from Holly Lovett (4-15)
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GAME 2: Ball State 8 - Charlotte 9
B2 - A two-run blast from L. Dirks gave the hosts an early lead (2-0)
T3 - Urban countered with a solo shot to open a four-run third for BSU (2-1)
T3 - A sac fly from Whitney evened the score (2-2)
T3 - Pietrzak was able to score from third on an error to give BSU its first lead in the game (2-3)
T3 - Another sac fly, this one from Evans, pushed the Ball State lead to two (2-4)
B3 - Unfortunately, a two-run double from J. Lord tied the score for Charlotte (4-4)
B3 - K. Shedrick drove in two more with a single up the middle (6-4)
B3 - Shedrick later scored on a Ball State error to cap a five-run third for the 49ers (7-4)
B4 - Lord picked up her third RBI with a double to right center (8-4)
T5 - Redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland cut the lead in half with a two-run double down the left field line (8-6)
T5 - Urban's second career home run was a two-run blast to tie the score for a third time in the game (8-8)
B6 - Lord's third hit of the game was costly, as she singled up the middle for her fourth RBI to give the hosts the win (9-8)
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UP NEXT
The Ball State softball team closes play in the Charlotte Invitational Sunday with a scheduled 10 a.m. first pitch versus Albany.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kita, Brinkley (1-1)
L: Hess, Chloe (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Weaver, Maddie 1
HR: Evans, Gabbie 1
RBI: Pietrzak, Maia 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 2 ; Whitney, Ella 2 ; Weaver, Maddie 5 ; Evans, Gabbie 2 ; Hoffman, Jessica 1 ; Urban, Hayley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gunter, Kara 3 ; Pietrzak, Maia 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Whitney, Ella 1 ; Peitersen, Veronica 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 2 ; Weaver, Maddie 1 ; Fox, Payton 1 ; Evans, Gabbie 1 ; Noble, Allee 1 ; Urban, Hayley 2
HBP: Mulholland, McKenna 1 ; Urban, Hayley 1
Batting:
2B: Lovett, Holly 1
3B: Sward, Peyton 1
RBI: Fricker, Kelly 1 ; Sward, Peyton 1 ; Smith, Gracie 1 ; Lovett, Holly 1
SH: Woloshyn, Helen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fricker, Kelly 1 ; Duenas, Crysta 1 ; Kern, Lizzie 1 ; Tabaka, Abbey 1
SB: Fricker, Kelly 1
HBP: Dudley, Rory 1 ; Lovett, Holly 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
5
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballINF / RHP
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