Ball State University
16-8
Xavier
10-13
Baseball Suffers Twinbill Setback at Xavier
March 22, 2025 | Baseball
The Cardinals (16-9) scored early in both contests before the Musketeers (11-13) pulled away during the middle innings.
"Once they erupted in the ninth inning of game one they carried the momentum for the rest of the series and won in every facet: pitching, hitting, and fielding," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said.
Game 1: Xavier 9, Ball State 2
Clay Jacobs hit a home run for the second time in as many days for the Cardinals, but Xavier scored the final six runs of the game to clinch the series win.
Down 2-0 in the second inning, Jacobs drilled a solo shot to right field to get the visitors within one. Korbin Griffin followed that up with an RBI single that scored Houston King in the third frame to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of Xavier, but Ball State wouldn't cross the plate the rest of the game.
Jacob Hartlaub (3-2) suffered the loss after allowing five runs in 3.1 innings. Xavier's Luke Hoskins (2-0) earned the win with 5.2 innings of two-run ball.
Jacobs, Griffin and Nick Husovsky each had a pair of hits for the Cardinals in the opener of the doubleheader, while Ty Davis added a late triple.
Game 2: Xavier 7, Ball State 1
Davis' solo home run in the third inning started the scoring for both teams in the nightcap, but the Musketeers scored seven unanswered runs to clinch the weekend sweep.
Xavier responded to the Davis home run to left field, which was his fourth homer of the week, by scoring twice in the bottom half of the third, four times in the fifth and once in the eighth inning.
Ball State starter Connor Hutchinson (1-1) worked 4.2 innings of four-run ball to be hit with the loss while Xavier's Ben Weber bettered his record to 2-2 with 7.0 innings of one-run ball.
Dylan Grego had a double in the ninth inning for Ball State's other extra base hit in the contest, and Jacobs and King each added singles for the visiting offense.
Up Next
Ball State returns home to host USI at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HOSKINS, Luke (2-0)
L: Hartlaub, Jacob (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Husovsky, Nick 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
3B: Davis, Ty 1
HR: Jacobs, Clay 1
RBI: Griffin, Korbin 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
Base Running:
RUNS: King, Houston 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
HBP: Richter, Alex 1
Batting:
HR: LAMBDIN, Jake 1 ; WACHSMANN, Isaac 1 ; TUCKER, Nolan 1 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 1
RBI: LAMBDIN, Jake 2 ; WACHSMANN, Isaac 2 ; BURDETTE, Clay 1 ; TUCKER, Nolan 1 ; HAMMOND, Luke 1 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: LAMBDIN, Jake 1 ; HENDRICKSON, Carter 2 ; WACHSMANN, Isaac 1 ; BURDETTE, Clay 1 ; TUCKER, Nolan 1 ; HAMMOND, Luke 1 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 2
SB: HENDRICKSON, Carter 1 ; HAMMOND, Luke 2
HBP: BURDETTE, Clay 1 ; ANDERSON, Aedan 1
