Softball Splits In Saturday Action

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - - After dropping Saturday's opener to Middle Tennessee by a score of 4-3, the Ball State softball team closed play in the MTSU Invitational with a dominating 10-1 (6) victory over Illinois State.

The Cardinals (8-5) once again struck first in the opener versus the Blue Raiders (8-11), courtesy of an RBI single to left field from senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson. In the top of the second.

Unfortunately, the hosts countered with one in the third and three in the fifth to take control of the game. Ball State did manage to push to more runs across in the top of the sixth, including another RBI single from Gibson. However, the Cardinals could not push the tying run across the plate.

In the nightcap, the Cardinals struck for three runs in the top of the second, while the Redbirds (5-12) answered with one in the bottom of the frame. From there, junior pitcher Ella Whitney shut down the ISU offense, while Ball State scored one in the fifth and six more in the sixth to seal its first victory of the weekend.

Redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons opened the scoring in the six-run fifth with an RBI single up the middle, while Whitney added an RBI single of her own. Reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Week and redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban added a two-run double, while redshirt junior pinch hitter Aislinn Morris closed the scoring with a two-run single to right.

NOTES
- Add two more games to Timmons' streak of reaching base safely, as she registered one hit in the opener and two in the nightcap to raise her total to 39.
- With the run-rule win over Illinois State, the Cardinals have now earned five of its eight wins via the eight-run rule.
- Whitney allowed just five base runners versus the Redbirds, surrendering just five hits and walking one.

UP NEXT
The Ball State softball team returns to action Sunday when it travels to the Purple & Gold Challenge hosted by Lipscomb to battle Northern Iowa at 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT.

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Team Stats

Kaitlyn Gibson

McKayla Timmons

Maddie Weaver

Hayley Urban

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Gibson

Aislinn Morris

McKayla Timmons

Hayley Urban

Ella Whitney