Softball Falls in Series Opener vs. Miami

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Despite some heads up base running from redshirt freshman pinch runner Allee Noble in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, the Ball State softball team suffered a 7-4 setback to league-leading Miami Friday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Stadium.

With the Cardinals (24-11; 9-5 Mid-American Conference) trailing 4-3 heading into the bottom of the final frame, senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson dropped an infield single right in front of home plate to put the tying run at first.

Cue Noble who took advantage of a wild pitch on the next throw and came around to score on an errant throw from foul territory behind the third base bag into right-center field.

Unfortunately, the RedHawks (25-16; 14-1 MAC) countered with the three-run home run in the top of the eighth to give the game its final score. It was the lone long ball of the day between the league's top two home run hitting squads with the wind blowing steadily in at 15-20 miles per hour.

Miami opened the scoring with a two-run first inning, while the Cardinals used more solid base running in the bottom of the third to cut the lead in half. After a walk to sophomore third baseman Mandy Lauth, redshirt freshman pinch runner Payton Fox was able to steal second and come around to score on a single up the middle from redshirt junior center fielder Hayley Urban.

After the RedHawks plated two more runs in the top of the fourth, the Cardinals struck for the same amount in the bottom of the frame. This time, it started with a walk to redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland which was followed by an RBI triple by senior left fielder Kara Gunter. Two batters later, junior designated player Ashlee Lovett dropped a blooper into shallow left center to make it a one-run game once again.

Lovett led the Cardinals with two of the team's seven hits on the day, including a second inning single.

NOTES:
- Despite reaching base on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fifth, redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons saw her 60-game streak of reaching base safely come to an end … The streak spanned the last 26 games of the 2024 season and the first 34 games of this season.

- It was another errorless softball game for the Cardinals, upping the team's fielding percentage to .971 on the year … Ball State has played 17 of its 35 games this season without an error.

UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team returns to action Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader versus Miami right back at the Ball State Softball Stadium.

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Team Stats

Ashlee Lovett

Maia Pietrzak

Kara Gunter

Ella Whitney

Players Mentioned

Payton Fox

Kaitlyn Gibson

Kara Gunter

Mandy Lauth

Ashlee Lovett

McKenna Mulholland

Allee Noble

McKayla Timmons

Hayley Urban