Johnson, Arnold and Harker Lead Cardinals to MAC-Opening Win

Friday, March 7

Muncie, Ind.

2 PM

Ball State University

9-5, 1-0

Western Michigan

0-12, 0-1

Western Michigan

Ball State

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

Johnson, Arnold and Harker Lead Cardinals to MAC-Opening Win

March 07, 2025 | Baseball

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MUNCIE, Ind. -- A three-run first inning for Ball State staked the Cardinals to an early lead, but it was the lefty-righty pitching of Keegan Johnson and Garrett Harker that stymied Western Michigan and carried the biggest load for the Cardinals in a 3-1 win to open play in the Mid-American Conference.

On an overcast day at the newly-named Shebek Stadium, Johnson (3-0) fired 7.1 innings before Harker came on in relief. The southpaw from Maryland sprinkled eight strikeouts around four base hits, and didn't allow a run until his final batter walked and scored with Harker on the hill. The walk to pinch-hitter Connor Ostrander was his only free pass of the day. Harker earned his fifth save already this season, allowing just the one single that scored Ostrander in the eighth. He struck out two among six batters faced.

The Cardinals looked to its offense early in the game, after Alex Richter reached first base on a hit by pitch to open the Ball State batting day. He held at third on a double by Houston King and the Cardinals were in business. Dylan Grego flew out to left field and Nick Husovsky hit an infield popup, but it was mishandled by Broncos' shortstop Michael Maloney, leaving the bases full of birds for catcher Garrett Arnold. His double down the left field line plated all three baserunners for an early Ball State lead.

Those doubles by King and Arnold, though, were Ball State's only hits of the day until Clay Jacobs doubled to right field in the bottom of the eighth. After WMU scored its run shortly after Johnson's exit, Jacobs tried to extend the Cardinals' lead but was cut down trying to score on a squeeze bunt attempt that went awry.

Western Michigan pitcher Ty McKinstry matched Johnson's efficiency, but for those three runs in the first, only two of them earned. He struck out seven, didn't walk a batter and only allowed Ball State its three doubles.

The Cardinals and Broncos play game two of their three game series on Saturday at 1 p.m.. They close the series at Shebek Stadium with a final game on Sunday at 1.