Softball Completes Weekend Sweep at Bellarmine Invitational

LOUISVILLE - - Redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons kept her streaks alive in a big way Sunday, blasting home runs in a 6-0 win over Stonehill and a 14-6 (6) victory over Evansville to help the Ball State softball team finish play in the Bellarmine Invitational with an unblemished 5-0 record.

With the Cardinals (13-6) leading by two runs entering the top of the fifth in the morning victory over the Sky Hawks (5-5), Timmons doubled the lead with her first home run of the day, a two-run blast to right field.

Ball State would add two more runs in the inning, the first coming on an RBI single from redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland and the second on a sac fly from senior right fielder Maddie Weaver.

The four-run fifth added to a solid start to the game, which saw senior left fielder Kara Gunter open the scoring with an RBI single to right. Two batters later, sophomore catcher Sophie Schoch picked up her first collegiate RBI by drawing a bases loaded walk.

In the circle, junior starter Ella Whitney threw the first 6.0 innings to earn her MAC-leading eighth win of the season. She allowed just four hits in the game, while striking out two to lower her season ERA to 1.62. Redshirt junior Jessica Hoffman threw the final inning, retiring all three batters she faced.

Ball State's offense did not let up in the nightcap versus the Aces (11-11), closing the tournament with a dominating 14-6 (6) victory over its in-state rival. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the first, while redshirt freshman left fielder Veronica Peitersen collected her first collegiate RBI after being hit by a pitch with bases loaded in the top of the second.

Timmons added a little more home run magic two batters later, blasting her second grand slam of the season and the third of her career, to push the lead to 6-0.

The offensive barrage continued from there, as the Cardinals scored four in the third and four more in the sixth to earn its seventh run-rule victory of the season. Evansville, who picked up a win over then-No. 24 Kentucky last weekend, would get five runs in the span but never seriously threatened.

Freshman Breanna Severino would pick up her second win of the season in the game, limiting the Aces to 10 hits and five runs over her 3.1 innings of work. She also struck out a pair of batters. Sophomore Brinkley Kitathrew the final 2.2 innings, limiting Evansville to two hits and one run while striking out four.

NOTES:
- With her bombs in each game, Timmons extended her active hitting streak to 11 games and upped her streak of reaching base safely to 45 games.
- Timmons finished the weekend with 10 hits, including three doubles and three home runs. She posted a .625 batting average and led the squad with nine RBI and nine runs scored.
- In addition to going 3-0 on the weekend, Whitney boasted a 0.70 ERA over 20.0 innings of work, allowing just nine hits and two runs scored. She also held opposing batters to a .134 average.
- Ball State turned in another solid effort on defense, committing just three errors over its five games at the Bellarmine Invitational for a .980 fielding percentage. The effort raised Ball State's season mark to .974.
- With six more home runs over the weekend, the Cardinals raised its season total to 19. Conversely, Ball State's pitchers have surrendered just three home runs this year.

UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team opens the home portion of its 2025 season Tuesday, when it welcomes Purdue Fort Wayne to the Ball State Softball Stadium for a 2 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+.

Softball Completes Weekend Sweep at Bellarmine Invitational

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Team Stats

McKayla Timmons

Ella Whitney

McKenna Mulholland

Kara Gunter

Players Mentioned

Kara Gunter

Jessica Hoffman

Brinkley Kita

McKenna Mulholland

Veronica Peitersen

Maia Pietrzak

Sophie Schoch

Breanna Severino

McKayla Timmons

Maddie Weaver

Ella Whitney